Overboard
by luvxxendless
Summary: CM Punk prides himself on being disciplined, blessed with great self-restraint. Could anyone ever rattle his exterior? And how far will Punk go to prevent himself from being vulnerable? Punk/OC, many others make appearances, eventually!
1. Chapter 1: Are you ready?

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own any of the WWE wrestlers, associates, CEO's, anyone else lol. I only own Nikki and my ideas._

_**A/N:** My first wrestling story lol. I tried to stay away from incorporating the actual people behind their WWE characters too much, but I probably slipped here and there. I hope you guys enjoy it. Compliments, criticism, everything is welcome (except for flaming!)._

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**August 2005**

A young blonde girl of barely twenty years old stood outside in the reception, waiting to be admitted into the CEO's office. It wasn't like this was the first time Nikki Valentine had gone in for an interview or anything of the sort. It was just that this meant too much to her. All her life, Nikki had been fascinated by watching snippets of shows like Raw and Smackdown, but she had never really considered it as a career. During high school, it wasn't 'cool' to be into these things; Nikki had a tough life at home, so she wasn't too eager to make it so in school too. With her looks and liveliness, she fit right in with the most popular girls, with the cheerleaders, and found her second calling. Dancing. That eventually led her to this realisation, to this place here, she supposed.

Nikki's reverie was cut short when the snotty secretary called her name, and escorted her inside to meet the CEO. She was shown to a seat, where she took her position, and stared silently at the back of the man's chair. She wasn't sure she wanted to see what was in the front of that chair; the back was intimidating enough. Closing her eyes for a split second, Nikki reminded herself that this was it; this was the way in, and she couldn't blow it. Her eyes fluttered open just as the chair swivelled to bring her face to face with none other than Mr. Vince McMahon. Nikki smiled nervously, saying, "Hi. Uhm, thanks for taking the time to meet me." She mentally scolded herself over how that sounded more like a question than a statement!

Mr. McMahon smiled, nodding, and flipped open a folder on his desk. Nikki doubted he read it, but as he spoke, he proved her wrong, "Well, Miss Valentine -interesting name, by the way- your resume looks alright." She wasn't sure how to feel about that, but when the man propped his elbows on the desk, and stared at her with those piercing eyes, she figured not so good. His voice really put her on an edge, "But 'alright' is not what the WWE is looking for, darling. You definitely have the looks, and enough skills to pass off as a transitional diva, but what if we decided to give you a more sinister storyline? What if the crowd demands it? Then we'd have a problem."

Nikki opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by McMahon raising his palm up to stop her. He closed the folder, casting it aside, and pulled out a sheet of black paper. She watched silently as he scribbled something on it, before he looked up, saying, "Starting in two weeks, you can move to Louiseville, and begin training with this person. After a few months, I'll check in with him, and we'll see what to do then." He sneered at her, before adding, "If you still want in, that is."

Nikki took note of the derision in his tone, and it did nothing but fuel her drive to do this. She took the piece of paper from Mr. McMahon, her eyebrows rising as she read the name of the person he scribbled on it. Well, this was going to be interesting. He wasn't even a superstar yet! Nonetheless, Nikki nodded, saying, "Great, thank you, sir. I guess I'll talk to you then." McMahon seemed to snort at the thought, as Nikki sent him a brief dirty look, before exiting the office.

Well, if she ever does get signed on, she was keeping her interactions with that man to a minimum.

**%%%%**

Two weeks later, a young dark haired man could be seen pacing a gym in Louiseville. Training. Really? This was just so ridiculous. For him to maintain his popularity and be among the first picks on the drafts, he had to train another wrestler? It was preposterous. What was even worse, it was a girl! His job depended on turning this amateur wrestler into one of the future WWE's Diva's. Punk almost growled, as he kicked at the floor at random, waiting for his 'trainee' to arrive. Where the hell was she anyway? It couldn't take this long to get here. He glanced at his watch, and refused to admit that five minutes wasn't really that bad.

Just as he looked up, a blonde girl walked in. He frowned, not once thinking that she could be the girl he was to train. She looked like a cheerleader; no effing way was she planning to be a wrestler. Punk snorted, and leaned against the wall, before saying to her loudly, "Uhh, I think you're in the wrong place. The cheerleaders practice in the other gym, three blocks down, sweetheart."

The girl raised her eyebrows at him, shrugging, and saying amusedly, "Wow, that's very flattering. I never thought I'd be mistaken for a cheerleader."She gave him a sarcastic grin, before continuing to walk in, and looking around at the gym and its various equipments.

Not an cheerleader? So who the hell was she? Another thought occurred to him, and this time, he was actually annoyed, not just amused. He made his way to the girl, saying, as he shook his head, "This place has the worst security ever. They let a fan in? What the hell."

He proceeded to place a hand on her back, intending to lead her out as gently as he can, considering his annoyance with, well, the world. She wouldn't move though; instead of just walking, she turned around, to face him, and raised her hands, palms up, saying, "Whoa, slow down there, pretty boy. I'm just looking for a CM Punk? Do you know where I can find him?"

Phil's eyebrows were about to disappear, as he realised who the girl was. He groaned, taking a few steps back, and said, almost pleadingly, "Please, please tell me you're not Nicole Valentine." He already knew the answer though; he really didn't need to hear it.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but...that's me," the bonde said, smiling in amusement. He really didn't know what was so funny about this situation. He had no hope whatsoever for this girl. She was not ready, and as far as he was concerned, she could never be a diva. She wouldn't last a minute in the ring.

He walked towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder, and spoke very slowly, praying that she would understand, "You do understand what this entails? Your life will basically be focused on finding a way to enjoy getting beat up, time after time, especially with a physique like that." He snorted, adding, "Sweetie, you wouldn't last two seconds with the likes of Dawn Marie. Now, you need a memorable night with yours truly, I can help you there," he glanced down, sizing her up, deciding that he wouldn't mind sleeping with her, if he wasn't as straight edge as he was, that is. And if he didn't already have a girlfriend. Still, he could mess around with her mind. He smirked, before adding," But...otherwise, I think you're better off walking straight back out that door."

The girl raised her eyebrows at him, before shrugging. Punk couldn't believe how easy that was! He had expected to have to maybe subject her to a few difficult exercises before she gave up, but obviously, this Valentine kid's head was not in the game. How pathetic! He snorted, watching her shrug his hand off of his shoulders. Thinking he might as well have a little fun with this, he said, "Hey, the first offer is still valid. I'd love to see what's under the clothes, Valentine." He frowned a little, asking out of curiosity, "What's your real name, by the way?"

He was surprised to see the girl's smirk still in place, despite his mocking her, and even more surprised when she practically closed the gap between them, whispering sexily in his ear, "You'd have to train me some to see what's under the clothes, Punk." She pulled away just as suddenly as she approached him, folding her arms over her chest, and adding, "And it's Nicole Valentine. That is my real name, unlike you, Mr. CM Punk. What's yours?" She seemed completely unfazed by his earlier warnings, which was just more proof for him that she had to be stupid or mentally challenged or something.

"Look, Valentine, I didn't want to do this, but here goes nothing: you can't ever become a wrestler. You're just...not the type." He stated, looking her up to down again. He rolled his eyes, adding, "Have you seen who you would be going up against? There's little to no chance you can beat them."

It finally seemed to hit a nerve with her, as her blue eyes narrowed. She looked around the gym, before facing him again, and saying, "Let me ask you something. You're not exactly the strongest or biggest man around; when you first started out, how many people said to you what you just told me to you? Did you listen to them? Did you let them get in your way?" She smirked in satisfaction when his smirk faded. He didn't like where this was going; he was supposed to have the upper hand. She stepped forward, continuing, "You obviously didn't, because you're here. And if I have to go find someone else to train me, that's fine, but word on the street is that you actually need me. You're not so popular these days, are you? You need a little protégé to help you out, to get you into the spotlight, and honestly, you'd be lucky to have me." She shrugged, looking overly confident that she reminded him of, well, he hated to even think it, but of himself. "I mean, I'm gorgeous, and I can tell you right now, with the right training, I can kick some major ass. I've already done it, just not in a WWE-scale thing."

Punk stared at her, genuinely surprised by the sudden fierce attitude, combined with cool headedness. He didn't really understand how she maintained them both; being fierce and cool, but he sort of liked it. He mused; she might not be too bad after all, and she made some good points. He was an underdog for quite some time before he got here, and he did need a popularity boost, whether he liked it or not. Punk stepped back, rubbing the back of his head, shrugging, and said, "Alright, Valentine, you've got yourself a deal. I have to go now, but, tomorrow morning, 6:30 am sharp, be here." He smirked when she opened her mouth to protest, and shook his head. She stopped, and nodded silently, irritation obvious on her face. Not so cool now, was she? He chuckled, heading out, but as he reached the door, he turned to look at her again, saying, "It's Brooks, by the way. Phil Brooks."

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_**A/N:** _

_So, for those of you who have been reading for a while, don't panic. The flashback prologue can be found in my profile. It's called Just Tonight. However, this is how it all started. It's quite a jump from Just Tonight, but as we go on, it'll make more sense lol. Next few chapters I'll be incorporating more character, like the other Valentines, Steve (he was mentioned briefly in Just Tonight), even Maria. _

_Stay tuned, and please review :)_


	2. Chapter 2: Testing the Water

_**Disclaimer: **_

_No, I don't own any of the WWE wrestlers, associates, CEO's, anyone else lol. I only own Nikki, the Lennors, and my ideas._

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It has been over two months since she had started training, and Nikki was frustrated. She was no closer now to becoming a diva than she was when she started training. Yeah, she competed in several individual circuits competitions, but they weren't where she wanted to be. She wanted to be on WWE. She wanted to be a diva. Nikki kicked viciously at the dummy that she was practicing on, knocking its head off. She sincerely hoped human heads were more stable; prison didn't sound too much fun, and she would know. The sound of slow clapping resonated from the end of the gym, and sure enough, when she turned around, there was her trainer, CM Punk, or, as she preferred to call him, much to his annoyance, Phil.

"Wow, who would have thought, three months ago, you could do that," he said, mockingly.

But by now, Nikki had realised that this was as close to a compliment as she was ever going to get, so she smiled, and nodded once, saying, "Why thank you, Mr. Punk." She adjusted her hair band, tightening it slightly, and asked, "What's on the agenda for today?"

Punk smirked, and threw his arm around Nikki's shoulders, leading her to the ring, and said, "Why don't I just show you?" She smirked back at him, and followed, already pumped up. For the next three or so hours, the two of them went back and forth so naturally from talking business, to goofing around aimlessly, and sometimes, even hands on training. Nikki didn't get a chance to do the last too often, because Punk was usually easy on her, but sometimes, her taunting and attitude did manage to irritate and provoke him enough to give in.

"Alright, I surrender!" Nikki called out, after half an hour of some intense kickboxing. She really didn't get the point of those. Being in the ring wasn't going to allow her much room to do any crazy kicks or anything; she needed to focus on hand-to-hand combat. And it wasn't like she was going to have the advantage of having those massive boxing gloves in the ring either. Yet Punk seemed to insist on her performing them. He strode towards her as she lied on the floor, arms outstretched. She looked up at him, pouting, and saying, "Come on, I think I've earned a break."

He raised an eyebrow, kicking her leg lightly, and responding coolly, "Breaks are for losers. They won't get you anywhere, and you'll forever be the weakling you are now, Valentine." He sneered at her, crossing his arms challengingly.

Nikki glared at him, before propping herself on her elbows, and saying indignantly, "Hey, you said yourself how much I've improved! Plus, I don't think this is helping much. I mean, I need to focus on other things."

Punk leaned against the ropes of the ring, sighing, and explained, "Mr. McMahon may be a 'creepy dude', as you say, but he wouldn't send you to me if he didn't think I'd know what to make of your strengths." He shrugged, enjoying being able to prove her wrong, and most importantly, himself right. "And he's right. You're more of a martial arts girl, than a hand to hand wrestler," when Nikki opened her mouth to argue, he stopped her, adding quickly, "We can work it in, though. Don't kill the trainer."

Nikki hated when she was wrong. But technically, she wasn't wrong; Punk was just more right than she was. It was completely different, she attempted to convince herself. She sighed, whining, "Fine, but I still think a break would be nice. I mean, come on, when's the last time you had fun?" Before Phil could say it, she added quickly, "Aside from wrestling. When was the last time you chilled at home and, I don't know, watched TV or a movie, or like, read a fun book?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, replying smugly, "I read a book last night; what do you say to that?"

Nikki rolled her eyes, extending her hand for him to help her up. After he did so, she placed her arms on his shoulders lightly, absently playing with his hair, as she said, "An hour or so, even less if you get bored. We'll go have lunch at my place. You _need_ to lighten up. Please!"

Phil really didn't like where this was going, and he didn't like how he couldn't take his eyes off of her face as she pouted at him; she looked so adorable and innocent, but he knew better. He sighed, finally giving in, "Fine. But I _will _hate every minute of it."

Nikki's face broke into a wide grin, and she suddenly jumped to hug him, wrapping her legs around his waist, that he almost fell back. Punk staggered slightly, before placing one hand on the ring floor behind him, and one on her back, and saying, "You're crazy, you know that, right? Now get off me, you're killing me."

Nikki rolled her eyes, jumping off of him, and punching him on the arm, "You suck." She led the way, saying as she walked, "Come, I'll drive."

Punk did not think this was a good idea. Why, he couldn't exactly say, because that would mean admitting that he wasn't as great in self-control as he liked to think. But the truth was, Nikki Valentine seemed to have a secret weapon; she almost always got her way with him. He hated to admit it, but he wasn't sure he trusted himself around her. Yet, here he was, following her willingly, almost eagerly. Phil couldn't help but snort when he saw her car though. It was a tiny Volkswagen beetle, a red one at that. "Really? Do I honestly have to suffer and ride in this thing?"

Nikki threw him a dirty look, before responding, "Just get in the damn care before I change my mind, and make you walk, Punk." He looked at her, laughing, when he saw that she looked very much serious. At that point, he raised his palms up in surrender, getting in the car silently. Nikki grinned, blowing him a kiss, and saying, "Good choice, pretty boy."

He glared at her; she had taken to calling him that stupid nickname ever since they met that day in the gym. He didn't understand where it even came from, but according to Nikki, it 'fit him perfectly'. Sometimes, it really did get on his nerves how unfazed she always appeared to be around him; most people found Punk somewhat intimidating, and she, being his trainee, shouldn't be any different. He liked to think that she was just an excellent actress, but still, there was just something about her that made him sort of warm up to her. It was probably because she reminded him a lot of himself; she was so driven and focused, even if she did need to work on impulse control a little more.

Nikki started up the car, and instinctively reached out to turn on the radio, but Phil's hand stopped her. He smirked at her, saying, "Please. If I have to spend even more time with you, I need my quiet time, alright, babe? Great."

She glowered at him, before sighing, and shrugging. He wanted quiet, well, fine, he was getting quiet. She drove silently, but being the energetic person she was, what Nikki couldn't invest in speech, she put instead into speed. Punk glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, but said nothing, so she pretended not to notice.

In ten minutes, Nikki parked her car in front of a large house. Phil was rather surprised by her residence; he had expected a small apartment or something of the sort, not this. Punk turned to give her a suspicious look, to which she rolled her eyes, and answered, "I rent the basement, nothing more. Don't worry, Pretty Boy, I'm not richer than you." She winked, stepping out of the car and slamming the door behind her.

Punk shook his head in amusement, before following her into the house. However, before they could reach the door, a blur of colours came rushing, launching itself into Nikki. At first, Phil was a little concerned, and shocked, really, but then Nikki was lifting a kid of no more than four or five, swinging him around.

"Joey! My favourite boy, how's it going?" she said, grinning widely, and, for the first time since he met her, with no hint of sarcasm or cockiness. He was actually quite surprised to see that. She turned to face him, setting the little boy down, and saying, "Punk, this is the most amazing man in the world, Joey Lennors, he's the son of the people who own the house. Joey...you might want to get an autograph from this guy; his name is CM Punk," she was kneeling by Joey, but she glanced, giving Phil a quick smile, before speaking to the kid again, "He's going to be the newest WWE superstar, depending on how awesome I am in the ring."

Joey grinned widely, hugging Nikki, and saying, "You'll be the best, Nik! You're the awesomestest."

Nikki laughed, hugging the kid back, and lifting him up, before saying, "I sure hope so, little man. Now, I have to go, but I'll see you later. Love ya!"

Joey nodded, getting back on his feet again, and turned to speak to Phil, saying, before he ran off, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Punk!"

Phil stared after the kid, laughing weakly; he gestured at him, saying, "Cute kid. I like him." Nikki smiled, nodding, before she hooked her arm with Punk's, leading him wordlessly downstairs to her 'apartment'.

Now, this was more like it; humble apartment, with nothing glamorous about it. In fact, it sort of looked a little too messy. Instinct had him wanting to go around tidying it, but this wasn't his place, so he would just have to deal, he supposed.

"So, how exactly does Miss Valentine spend her free time?" asked Punk, as he fell back on the couch in the middle of the room, still scanning the place.

Nikki smiled, replying, "You'll see, Punk. Let me just see if I have to take care of anything." She headed to the phone, clicking the voicemail button, to see if there was anything new, when an angry, gasping for breath voice resonated in the silent room.

'_Nicole. It's been almost three months. Why don't you just face the fact that you'll never be anything but a f**king stripper, and come back home so that I don't have to keep wasting money on a stupid thing that I know won't work out. Stop being so damn selfish; it's not always you, you, you! I mean, holy f**k, how much thicker can you get? Call me back ASAP.'_

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_**A/N:** _

_I hope you guys are enjoying this so far. I know I promised other character appearances, but the way I divided the chapters is pushing those back a chapter or so. I promise though, within the next two chapters, there will be other appearances lol. I just need to establish the relationship between those two :) Thanks to everyone who's been reading and/or reviewing, you guys rock!_

_A shout out to my reviewers:_

_**OriginalBP: **I'm glad you like my Punk lol. I'm a little tired of him being portrayed as the dark, heartless bad guy all the time; baddies need some love too! ;)**  
**_

_**humanoidaspect: **Aww, you're sweet. I'm so critical of my writing, so its nice to hear a compliment :) I hope you're enjoying this so far!_


	3. Chapter 3: Unexpected Turn

_**Disclaimer: **_

_No, I don't own any of the WWE wrestlers, associates, CEO's, anyone else lol. I only own Nikki, the Lennors, Stephen Nichols, and my ideas._

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'_Nicole. It's been almost three months. Why don't you just face the fact that you'll never be anything but a f**king stripper, and come back home so that I don't have to keep wasting money on a stupid thing that I know won't work out. Stop being so damn selfish; it's not always you, you, you! I mean, holy f**k, how much thicker can you get? Call me back ASAP.'_

Nikki's finger was frozen on the button; in fact, her entire body was frozen in shock. It wasn't like owner of the voice had never been this mean or rude to her before; no, he's been worse. It was just that it came out of the blue; she was talking to him last week, and yeah, he was annoyed, but he didn't say anything about her coming back. It also didn't help that Punk was here, and he just heard every word the overbearing man had said.

Punk's expression was rather neutral, considering what just happened. He was studying Nikki carefully, as she stood there, motionless, staring at the phone. Who was that jackass? He didn't really like judging people, but that was absolutely no way to talk to someone. A little voice in the back of his head reminded him that the first time he met Nikki, he'd basically said the same thing. But he hadn't said it that way! And he didn't know Nikki very well then; he still didn't think he knew her, but this person obviously did.

Punk watched Nikki's hand fall off the phone, her arm falling numbly to her side. He thought he could see her shaking, but the next thing he knew was her turning around, with a wide grin on her face, saying, "Well, that was fun! But I don't think it's anything _urgent_," she looked around the room, her eyes falling on the mini fridge, before she asked, "Would you like to drink something?"

Phil wasn't fooled by the bright, cheerful attitude she was putting on; he could see that she was obviously affected by that message, but she was trying to push through. He knew all too well about that; he was often the one doing it. If it were any other person, he would press the matter, get her to talk to him about what had just happened. But Punk wasn't very good with words, at least when it came to things like that; he could lecture an entire ring about the values of being straight edge, but put him in a room and ask him to talk about touchy-feely subjects, and he'll freeze up. He shrugged, answering Nikki, "A diet soda would be good. Or just regular Pepsi if you have some."

Ten minutes later, they were sitting side to side on the couch, Punk with a Pepsi in one hand, the other holding the TV remote way up high from Nikki's reach, her trying to grab it from him, with a bag of Swedish Fish on her lap. On the TV screen was the last Raw episode, in all its glory. Nikki gave up finally, elbowing Punk in the ribs hard, "You're a jerk. We wrestle every day for nearly five hours, and then you want to watch it _again_? Seriously, Punk, get a life."

He chuckled, nursing his side, and replied, "This _is _my life, sweetheart, much to the dismay of my girlfriend sometimes." He laughed, shaking his head. Maria got pretty annoyed when he would spend the entire time they were hanging out going over his progress in the game, and how excited he was to get in WWE. It didn't help that they rarely ever got to spend time together, so she was often sort of upset with him. Still, he had to give it to her; she put up with him longer than anyone else he'd ever dated. That in itself deserved an award of some sorts. He supposed it helped that she was no stranger to his world; she understood how much this meant to him, which was pretty awesome of her, he had to admit.

Beside him, Nikki laughed, saying sarcastically, ""I wonder why that is!" She rolled her eyes, before asking with curiosity, "I didn't know you had a girlfriend. What's her name?"

"Oh, I thought I mentioned it," Punk said casually, knowing fully well that he hadn't. "It's Maria."

There was a reason, sort of, that he hadn't told Nikki of Maria. While it might be sort of bad of him, he kind of liked goofing around and flirting with Nikki. It seemed to be her default mode, the flirting. He enjoyed it, a little more than he should, possibly, considering he was in a relationship. But quite honestly, he didn't know if he and Maria really had a relationship. They barely saw each other every month, and when they did, things were sort of dry with them. Then there was Nikki. She was lively, focused, and very much into the same things that he liked. Except the straight edge thing; she didn't do drugs or smoke, or so she said, but she had mentioned that she likes getting drunk every now and then. But what was most important was that she was there, all the time.

"Mariaaaa. Nice name, I want to meet her now," said Nikki, grinning mischievously. "I'd love to see the woman who whips CM Punk's ass."

Before he could reach her, Nikki jumped off the couch, dropping the bag of Swedish fish on the floor. Punk stood up, lunging for her, and lifted her easily over his shoulder, "No one whips me, Valentine. You should know by now."

Laughing, Nikki struggled out of his grip, but her efforts only led to them falling on the couch, with Punk's whole weight on top of her. Even breathless, Nikki managed a few giggles, before she pushed him slightly off of her, saying, "Get off, loser. I don't think _Maria _would like this scene very much."

Punk laughed along with her, playing it off as a joke, but he knew Maria would hate this, not to mention what was going on inside his mind right now. God, Nikki was hot; that in its own was enough to drive a man crazy, but combined with the fact that he actually liked spending time with her, and you have a deadly combination. It was at times like these when he was glad he was very disciplined -or so he liked to think- and, most importantly, he was a good actor. He could pass something off like it was nothing, even if it did bother him to no end. He smirked, sitting up straight, and joked, "Oh, it's not like it would be the first time you caused trouble for a couple."

He was surprised when Nikki dissolved into a fit of giggles, and stared at her in bewilderment. After a moment, she seemed to catch her breath, and she said, "Sorry, it's just that I sort of have a history of causing a few break ups." She shrugged, attempting to act innocent, but failing miserably. "Sometimes accidently, others not so much."

Punk snorted, turning to lean against the arm of the sofa, sitting Indian style. He grinned at her wickedly, saying, "Do tell."

Nikki raised her eyebrows, scoffing, "No way, bugger off." She didn't think she wanted to go down that road with Punk. No, not now that she knew he had a girlfriend. The fact was that she was just naturally a flirt; she flirted with everyone she talked to, girl, boy, whatever. Admittedly, though, Nikki might have gone a little further in the flirting zone with Punk. She liked him, but he was her trainer, and she wasn't ready to disrupt that with a relationship, or whatever. She needed his expertise, and she wasn't going to mess that up. And now she had just found out he has a girlfriend. Yeah, it wasn't a very good idea to keep going. Plus, Nikki wasn't sure she could handle a relationship anyways.

He seemed to disagree –or maybe he was blissfully unaware- for he said, "Oh yeah? You know what I think? I think you like me; is it because I have a girl? I knew you were too much of a flirt to be 'friendly'." He made air quotes with his fingers, provoking Nikki. Her eyes flashed, before she turned her attention from the TV screen, to Punk.

"Please, don't flatter yourself; that's how I am with everyone, dude," Nikki replied, shrugging the matter off casually.

Phil raised his eyebrows, musing, "That explains so much; I was wondering why you don't have any girlfriends." He smirked when she stared at him incredulously, continuing, "I mean, I would stay away if I thought my guy friends were flirting with me, right?" For that, Punk received a kick to the shin, but he really should have seen it coming. "Ouch! Bitch."

"Asshole. I do have girlfriends," Nikki replied defiantly, however, her honesty kicked in, and she added, in an undertone, "Just not close ones...and not here. But I still have them, so _there_!"

Punk laughed, shaking his head at her, and commented, "You know, if you toned down the flirting, and stopped stealing their guys, you'd have more girlfriends." He yawned, stretching, before adding with a sneer, "And I wouldn't be stuck here. Hating every second of this."

Nikki rolled her eyes, laughing silently. She could tell that he was just kidding; he was enjoying himself, and frankly, so was she. She preferred not to push the point, though, because she knew he would just deny it, and probably never do it again. And Nikki was kind of lonely here; she liked hanging out with Punk, even though the recent revelation, aka Maria the girlfriend, sort of put a damper on things.

Punk's mind, however, was on a different track. Glancing at her briefly as he watched the TV, he asked casually, almost jokingly, "So was that nasty voicemail one of those boyfriends you stole?"

It was almost as though someone turned on the air conditioner to zero. Punk said nothing as he watched Nikki's posture stiffen up, the smile slightly fading off of her face, as she shook her head, attempting to laugh it off, and answered, "No, that was my older brother."

She hated how she could never lie properly when faced with a direct question. It wasn't like she couldn't try to avoid the subject, or twist it or something, but she couldn't just straight up lie. So when Punk asked her, she just answered. Nikki, however, didn't elaborate after that. She would rather not, and she sincerely hoped he wouldn't push it.

Unfortunately for her, Punk was a little too curious for his own good. He frowned slightly, glancing at her again, asking, "Really? That's...odd. Is he always that grumpy?"

Nikki sighed; he obviously wasn't going to let it go, so what the hell. He wants to know, he'll know. She didn't even look at him, as she spoke calmly, "No, not really. Most of the time he doesn't really care about anything, but I had to quit my job two years ago, when I decided to go after wrestling, so he's been helping me out with the money." She shrugged, adding, "I guess he's getting impatient." She hated having to rely on Jake for most of her financial needs, but she had no other options. Dancing didn't exactly make lots of money if you weren't famous, so the money she had from dancing since she was basically sixteen wasn't all that great. She was twenty now, and she figured that if she were to get into WWE as fast as possible, she needed her brother's help. It was at times like these, however, when she wished her parents had been more involved in her life.

Punk studied Nikki silently for a moment, before saying, "Well, if I were you, I'd tell him to back off. He was way out of line."

Nikki was about to respond to that, when her cell phone buzzed. She frowned, wondering who was calling her, as she didn't recognize the number. "Hello?"

"Finally! Where the hell have you been?" came her brother's voice. Nikki bit back a groan, before standing up and going to the other side of the room, talking in a low voice.

Punk stared after her for a moment, before deciding that she obviously didn't want him to hear whatever it is that was going on. He flipped through channels now that the Raw rerun was done, getting bored quickly. There was literally nothing good to watch; this was why he had given up on television a long time ago. Finally, he turned it off, and reached for the bag of Swedish fish, and eating some, as he waited for Nikki to come back. She had been on the phone for over ten minutes now, and he was getting slightly annoyed.

Finally, she came back, falling into the couch, and letting her head rest back, eyes shut tight. He watched her with a mixture of concern and amusement, before she randomly kicked the coffee table angrily. Punk's eyes widened slightly, as he asked, "Bad news?"

Nikki opened her eyes, sighing, and nodded. She seemed so overwhelmed, as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders, when minutes ago, she was giggling and laughing without a care in the world. "I need to get signed into OVW, soon, or else, I'm going to starve to death." was all she said. Just before Punk could say anything, she sat up straight, and began ranting, "I mean, it's so stupid! My whole life, I've worked hard to take care of myself, on my own. While my mum was busy getting high or figuring out the best way to fool the social workers, and my dad was ditching us, not to mention my brother sleeping with practically every girl he crosses paths with, I was busy working in a dance studio so that I don't have to ask them for anything, and the moment I start asking for help because I know I need it, all hell breaks loose!" She kicked at the table again, glaring at it for no reason, "Ughhh."

Punk stared at her warily, wondering where all that came from. She just exploded right there, out of the blue. The oddest thing was, it kind of turned him on, but Punk couldn't think that way. For one thing, he had a girlfriend he liked very much, and for another thing, he really didn't think Nikki would appreciate him coming on to her when she was so angry. Instead, he passed her the bag of candy, saying, "Okay. Would you like to slow down a little bit and talk about this?"

Nikki accepted the candy, smiling weakly, and explained, "That was my brother. He says he won't help me out anymore, 'cause I'm just 'delusional'. But I'm not!" She looked Phil in the eyes, almost desperately pleading with him to agree with her, "I know I can do this. I just...I need a little bit of time."

Punk didn't know what he was doing, or if it was very smart, doing it, but he reached out, holding one of Nikki's hands in his own, and looking deep into her blue eyes, saying firmly, "I know you can. You don't need your brother; he's an asshole, and you don't deserve to be treated like that." The words sounded strange, coming out of his mouth. He wasn't very used to being the nice guy; it was much easier to be the annoying, cocky bastard, even if that really wasn't who he was.

Nikki was rather touched by his words, but she said nothing, instead smiling at him thankfully. She felt kind of awkward in a situation like this, so she gently pulled her hand away from Punk's grasp, and said, "You're sweet, but that doesn't solve my problem. I'm going to have to get a job just to pay for this place." Nikki really didn't think she could do that. The problem was that she was impatient; she didn't want to take the training slow, and work her way into WWE gradually. No, she wanted to get in there, as fast as possible, now.

Punk looked around the 'apartment', a smile forming along his lips, as an idea occurred to him. He turned to face Nikki, "On a scale of one to ten, how annoyed would you be by spending almost every waking moment of the day with me?" He could see that Nikki was following where he was going, as her eyes widened, and she looked at him dubiously.

"I don't think Maria would approve, which should make me eager to do it, but, according to you, I gotta start being _'nice'_," Nikki responded, smirking slightly. Plus, she didn't know if she could handle living with CM Punk. It could be sort of awkward, but it could also be the most entertaining thing ever.

"Not if she thought you were my roommate's girl," Punk responded, winking at Nikki. Stephen Nichols has been his roommate for a while now, even before he had moved to Louisville. He was rich, so he could afford to move around and basically do whatever he wanted. Punk knew he wouldn't mind the company, especially not when it looked like Nicole Valentine did. He also knew that as long as he behaved, Maria wouldn't mind, at least not too much. She wasn't usually the jealous type, or at least, she hadn't been before. "Come on, that way, I'll be able to give you more pointers, you'll get into WWE even faster than you are right now." He tilted his head, smirking smugly, adding, "You know I'm right."

Nikki opened her mouth to argue, and then closed it again, at a loss for words. His reasoning made sense, but what he failed to factor in was the fact that she may or may not have a little thing for him. However, she felt better about the situation, knowing that they wouldn't be alone. And over all, it seemed like the smart thing to do; maybe not the _right _thing to do, but definitely the smart thing. Nikki laughed, not believing where this afternoon had gone, and replied, laughing lightly, "Do I even have a say in this?" She ran her fingers through her blonde hair, adding, "I guess I should talk to Mrs. Lennors...and...my brother, and...pack?"

Phil grinned widely, but in the back of his mind, a voice told him that this was trouble, major trouble. The major part of his mind thought this was the best idea ever. Nicole Valentine was an enigma to him; he liked hanging out with her, trying to figure her out. He was now going to be have a chance to do that practically twenty four/seven.

He couldn't wait.

* * *

_**A/N:** So, how was that? Too much? Too little? Too soon? Just right? Let me know. Also, I can safely tell you that next chapter, we WILL have some Maria, and I think some Stephen too :D_

_Shout out to reviewers:_

_**humanoidaspect: **You rock, seriously! I mean, I understand that he does get dark and stuff, but that's not all there is to a character. I think you might like how I write him later on ;)_

_**joolR**: I'm so happy I've been able to get you reading CM Punk again :D Oh, I was kind of having second thoughts about the going back in time, but I'm glad you like it :) I just thought it would be fun to see how we get from the early stages to the scene in the first chapter :)_

_**To everyone else:**_

_I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this. Thanks to everyone who's fave-d this, or really, even if you're reading it, that's awesome. I love writing this story, and I really hope you enjoy reading it just as much!_


	4. Chapter 4: Cooking Troubles

_**Disclaimer: **_

_No, I don't own any of the WWE wrestlers, associates, CEO's, anyone else lol. I only own Nikki, Stephen, and my ideas._

* * *

Punk glanced at the clock; it was past six o'clock in the evening. Stephen should be here in about half an hour, along with Punk's girlfriend, Maria. Normally, he would be the one picking _his _girlfriend up from the airport, but he lost a bet to Steve, and tonight, he was stuck with dinner duty. When Punk casually brought up the fact that he did have other things to attend to, Steve wouldn't hear it, and here he was, instead, standing in front of the stove, flipping burgers. He sighed, grabbing a bottle of water, and drinking some. He glanced at the door to his old room briefly, but it was still shut, with no sound of any type of movement in there. It has been that way since this morning. Punk frowned, contemplating whether or not he should go in.

Nikki had been living with him and Stephen for over two weeks now. As there were only two rooms in the apartment, the guys decided to give Nikki Punk's room, and he moved his bed to Stephen's (she'd brought her own bed along). However, most of his belongings were still in that room. It took so much patience not to freak out every time he walked in to grab something he needed and found the place a mess. Nikki definitely needed to work on her organizational skills. Then again, he was stuck either way; Steve was almost worse than Nikki. Punk didn't mind it too much though; he liked having Nikki around. She knew how to brighten up a room, and she was almost always smiling and happy about something. If Punk wasn't there to witness that whole incident with her brother's phone calls, he would find it nearly impossible to believe that this upbeat girl even knew what it was like to be upset or, well, anything that wasn't bright and flirty. He could tell that it sort of annoyed Stephen, but he also had a feeling it wasn't Nikki specifically that he had an issue with. He would talk to him, if things got more tense or something, but for now, both Nikki and Steve were handling the situation relatively well.

However, Nikki hadn't come out of the room at all today. Punk had a feeling she didn't spend the night at home. Deciding that it was best she wakes up before midnight, he made his way to the room, knocking loudly, "Nik! Come on, you gotta wake up, sloth! Nicole." He knocked a few more times, before he finally heard her mumble something incoherent. After waiting for a few minutes, he heard her moving around the room. Finally!

Nikki was enjoying sleep. It was a nice gift, this sleep thing. She hadn't realized it till now, but it really was quite nice. So when she heard the repetitive knocks, and someone's voice calling out her name, Nikki was rather annoyed. She decided to ignore it, but Punk just wouldn't stop. Grumbling, the blonde sat up gingerly, and picked up her cell phone from the bedside. As the time registered in her mind, Nikki almost had a heart attack. She had been asleep for nearly twelve hours! Groaning, she pushed the covers off of her, and got off the bed, going over to look at herself in the mirror. The reflection made her grimace. She ran her fingers through her hair, before grabbing her robes, and heading out to the bathroom.

As she passed by the kitchen, Nikki heard Punk snort. Instead of responding with any words, she raised her hand, palm up, and stomped over to the bathroom. As she showered, Nikki sort of began to wake up, and only then did she realize that she probably couldn't keep doing this. She couldn't keep working overnight; she was going to end up killing herself from exhaustion.

Although the issue of her residence was solved thanks to Punk, Nikki was not foolish enough to think that everything was good. She needed some sort of source of income, and so, almost immediately after she moved in with Punk and Stephen, she took a job at a McDonald's. That didn't sound too bad, except for the fact that all her shifts were at night. Nikki wasn't about to cut back on her training time, but she was all too willing to cut back from any other sort of time, including sleep. She didn't know if Punk had noticed that she wasn't performing as well as she did before, but she was grateful that he at least hadn't said anything. She really didn't want to talk to him about this; he already did enough, and she was sort of trying not to get too used to living here and being too friendly. That wasn't working out too well.

It wasn't that Nikki didn't like living here, no, she actually rather enjoyed it. It was simply that she was still getting used to the situation. It wasn't like she hadn't lived with guys before; she did it while going to a performing arts school in NYC. But none of those guys had been her trainer, and she hadn't sort of had a crush on them. Still, Nikki liked it. Steve was funny, even if she did sense that he wasn't too fond of having her around, and just hanging out with Punk was usually the highlight of her day, not that she'd ever admit it. But that still didn't mean that she could just lounge around and be relaxed as if she has nothing to worry about. Nikki hid it well, but she was very frustrated with everything. She didn't want to work as anything other than a wrestler or a dancer, but she had to. At the same time, she wanted to devote her time to refining her in-ring skills, but she couldn't do that while working, and add to that her very unhealthy crush on Punk, and you have an incredibly confused and overwhelmed girl.

Nikki mentally groaned as she remembered what day it was. Tonight, things were bound to be sort of weird. Punk's girlfriend was finally back in town, and she was coming to hang out with them. Nikki didn't really know how to feel about the entire situation; in front of Steve and Punk, she acted like it was all good and casual, but she kind of wasn't, and it didn't help that she was confused about her own thoughts and feelings. She sighed, turning off the water, and stepping out of the shower. After drying herself and putting on her clothes (sweatpants and a tank top), Nikki stepped outside, stopping by her room, and throwing her bag of toiletries, before heading to the kitchen.

There, she slipped on top of the counter, and asked Punk, "Aren't you supposed to be at the airport?" She frowned at him, before reaching over to grab an apple.

Punk shrugged, "Steve wouldn't let me get out of dinner duty, so he's picking Maria up." He glanced at her, raising his eyebrows slightly. She looked exhausted, and he didn't really understand why. She'd had that look ever since she moved in, and it sort of confused him. He hardly doubted that she was out partying every night, because she hardly looked hungover, but if that wasn't it, then what was it? He walked over to lean against the counter, "What's with you? You look awful."

Nikki rolled her eyes; Punk really needed to work on his tact. She didn't mind it too much, though. She sort of liked that he was always so blunt. She took a bit out of her apple, swallowing, before answering shortly, "I didn't get much sleep last night." He didn't need to know the details, and she _was_ telling the truth.

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock," Punk responded, scoffing slightly. "Where were you, anyway? Out in the clubs, drinking your ass off?" He hardly believed that was it, so when she nodded, he was taken by surprise. Punk narrowed his eyes, not entirely sure he should believe her. A good look at her face told him he was right. "You're lying. What were you doing?"

"Who says I'm lying? I was just out having some fun." Nikki said, a little too defiant for her own good. When Punk continued to look at her suspiciously, Nikki sighed, telling the truth, "I was working down at the McDonald's, near the highway."

Punk was a little more than surprised by Nicole's answer. Working? He had expected her to tell him she was out in the gym, or something similar. But it all made sense, now, why she wasn't doing as well as she had been before she moved in with them. His frown deepened, as he asked, "How long have you been working this silly job?"

She glared at him, but it did nothing to faze him. Punk knew he was right; it was downright stupid of her to try to work all night, and then do things like cardio training and what not all day long. It was simply asking for trouble! She finally replied, "Two weeks. It's not too bad."

Punk snorted. Not too bad? Right. Anyone just glancing at Nikki could tell that it was pretty bad. At first, he had began to think that she was just getting lazy, possibly having second thoughts about the whole wrestling thing, but this made so much more sense. It kind of also made him want to beat her over th head with a frying pan.

"You're an idiot," he said simply. When she opened her mouth to argue, he cut her short, adding, "How exactly are you planning to improve your wrestling, while draining yourself with work?"

"I can do it, it's not that bad, you know, if I spend my weekends sleeping," even as she spoke, Nikki knew she sounded naive and very much stupid. She was just too proud to just sit around and do nothing, while living under another person's roof, especially when that other person was this man in front of her.

"Look, I'm not one for telling people what to do, but if you are going to keep working, we're cutting back your training time," Punk said firmly, ignoring her outraged expression. He glanced at the burgers, before turning to face Nikki, adding, "Or you could quit, and keep the schedule the way it is now. Bottom line is, you can't have both. I don't get why you're working anyway."

Nikki glared at Punk, not responding right away. She had a million reasons to work! Couldn't he see that she needed to support herself, on her own, as soon as possible? She grabbed the bottle of water that was sitting on the table, drinking some, before she said, "I can't keep living here forever. And when it's time for me to leave, guess what, I'm going to need money to get a place of my own. Shocking, no?"

"Yeah, but you can stay until you get into OVW, and honestly, we don't mind having you around too much," Punk smirked, adding jokingly, "You're kind of growing on us." Although he said the last part as a joke, it sort of troubled him how true it actually was. He didn't like hearing Nikki speak about moving out and stuff; she had only been here for two weeks, and already he was too used to having her around.

"Speak for yourself. I don't think you're roommate's too fon-" Nikki's words were cut off by the sound of the smoke detector going off. Sure enough, when they glanced at the stove, the burgers on the pan were engulfed in flames. Nikki jumped off, grabbing the fire extinguisher, and tried to kill the fire. After a minute or so, she put it down, coughing as the smoke began to disappear. When she could finally see clearly, Nikki had to put down the fire extinguisher, as laughter overwhelmed her. The soon-to-be-superstar's right side was completely covered in white foam, and he looked, well, he looked like a strange version of Cruella De Vil.

Punk really did not see what was so funny about this situation. His entire right side, well, almost all of it, was covered in foam, dinner was burnt, and the place stunk of smoke. Silently, he grabbed a towel from the side of the sink, and wiped the foam away from his face and hair, and a little bit of his shirt. He glared at Nikki, waiting for her to stop laughing. When she finally did manage to catch her breath, he calmly asked, "Are you done?" Without waiting for a response, Punk reached out to grab her upper arm, before wiping the foam off of the towel on her face and hair. Smirking in satisfaction, he stepped back, "There! You look absolutely wonderful." He grinned at her astounded, and slightly annoyed face. What? She did it to him!

Nikki's jaw could have hit the floor. She did not see that coming at all. She wiped away whatever was left of the foam, before turning to face Punk, "I can't believe you just did that!" She approached him, aiming at him with her strongest punch, "Jerkface!" But Punk wasn't an easy target; he stepped sideways, catching her by the waist just as she was about trip.

He rolled his eyes, still holding her, and saying, "What? This is all your fault; you distracted me, and now we have no dinner." He glanced at the burnt food, trying not to think about Stephen's reaction when he got here.

As if on cue, the apartment door knob moved, and in came Stephen, carrying a bag, and behind him was a redheaded woman that Nikki could only assume was Maria. The two stopped after they took a few steps into the apartment, and simulataneously, their noses wrinkled, no doubt from the smell of burning food. Maria scanned the room, before her eyes zeroed in on Punk and Nikki, or more specifically, on him holding Nikki. She raised her eyebrows, but said nothing other than, "Uhm, hey?"

Stephen, however, began coughing, and asked, "Why the hell does it smell like burnt food in here? And...whoa, what happened to you two?" He glanced at the foam covering both Nikki and Punk, not to mention the burnt food and a large part of the kitchen counter.

Nikki could sense the awkwardness in the room like it was electricity. Silently, she pulled herself away from Punk, her fingers instinctively reaching to run through her hair, before she realised that it was wet and partly covered in foam. Instead, she grinned at the new arrivals, saying brightly, "Hi! I'm guessing you're Maria, it's nice to meet you." She took a few steps, before extending her clean hand out for the redhead.

Maria returned her smile, albeit hesitantly, and took Nikki's hand, saying, "Hi. Can't say I don't know who you are; Punk's mentioned a thing or two about his awesome trainee."

Nikki laughed nervously along with Maria, when Punk intervened, commenting, "Annoying. I said she was annoying. I never said anything about awesome." He smirked, shrugging and adding, "Unless I was talking about me."

Stephen, Nikki, and Maria all rolled their eyes at that, chuckling quietly. Punk ignored them, making his way to his girlfriend, and reached out to hug her awkwardly, for fear of getting her dirty, "Hey, gorgeous. Sorry I couldn't come pick you up; Steve was being a douchebag." Punk was trying to act natural, like this was an everyday scenario, but that didn't mean all four of them couldn't feel the tension in the apartment. He really hoped Maria didn't get the wrong idea about what she walked in on, although a part of him reminded him that she wouldn't be that wrong.

Maria returned her boyfriend's hug, careful not to mess up her shirt. She wasn't sure what to think about the situation. When Punk told her about his new trainee, who was also going to be living with him and Stephen, she had been a little uncertain about how she liked the sound of that, but it was nothing serious. Now, however, after walking in on them standing in such close a proximity, looking like they just got out of a foam festival, she was a little worried. But the blonde girl, Nicole or whatever her name was, had been so natural and friendly. Maria didn't know what to make of that. She was sort of at a loss of what to say, so when Stephen spoke, she was eternally grateful.

"Dude! You burnt our dinner, now what are we supposed to do?" Steve glanced at the kitchen counter, and the stove, before adding, "Were you trying to burn down the house too?"

Nikki giggled, saying, "Punk kind of forgot about the food. Uhm, how about we order a pizza? Everyone likes pizza, right?" At the collective agreement, she grinned, grabbing the phone, "Fab! I'll pay; what kind do you guys want?"

After the pizza was ordered, Nikki excused herself, heading over to her room to clean herself up. Once she was in her room, she finally allowed herself to breathe. That was definitely the most awkward moment ever. Sure, she hadn't expected meeting Maria would be fun and games, considering she sort of maybe possibley liked the redhead's boyfriend, but Nikki didn't think it would be that bad. She sighed, as she grabbed her towel and attempted to dry her hair. Once that was done, she sat on her bed, not really in any hurry to go back out there. She left the money for the pizza with Steve, so that would be taken care of too. Really, she could just stay here all night, she wouldn't mind that at all.

But it was too late for coming up with an excuse not to be around, as Steve called out from the living room, "Hey Nicole, the pizza's here!" Nikki suppressed a sigh, as she ran her fingers through her hair, and grabbed some new sweatpants to pull over her pyjama shorts, before heading outside.

In the living room, Stephen was sitting comfortably on the sofa, flipping through the TV. On the middle of the sofa was Maria, with a newly cleaned Punk on her other side. He looked up, as Nikki walked in, and said, "Alright, we've got a Hawaiian and, for reasons beyond my understanding to this day, a plain cheese one, just for you, Steve." His friend chose not to respond to him, probably because he had heard this a million times before.

"Aww, don't pick on Steve," Nikki said, as she sat on the floor, next to Stephen. She leaned over to grab a pizza, adding with a smirk, "He just has a sensitive stomach, that's all."

Steve rolled his eyes, addressing Punk, "Why again do we let her live here? All she does is insult us."

Punk chuckled, leaning his head back, and replied, "Don't take it personally, she's just overwhelmed by our awesomeness." At this, Maria snorted, which prompted Punk to turn his head slightly to the side to look at her, asking, "Hey, what was that? Whose side are you on?"

Maria pretended to think, before glancing at Nikki. In that one second, the blonde girl could tell that Maria didn't exactly like this new living arrangement in this apartment. However, Nikki had to admire the girl, as her next words were, "Girls gotta stick together, man."

Nikki played along, and sent Punk a cheeky grin, before deciding that maybe this Maria character wasn't going to be too bad.

* * *

_**A/N:** _

_I'm sorry for the delay on this chapter. I sort of had to rewrite it a little bit, but yeah. I'm actually not exactly sure how I feel about this one. One moment I like it, but then after I kind of hate it XD But, hey, as long as you guys like it, I'm good ;)_

_Once again, thanks to all my reviewers, and everyone else who fave-ed this story, or even if you're just reading!_

_So, let me know what you think!_


	5. Chapter 5: On Your Mind

_**Disclaimer: **_

_No, I don't own any of the WWE wrestlers, associates, CEO's, anyone else you might recognize from TV._

* * *

After a few hours of chatting and goofing around, and often, arguing over what to watch on TV (even though they never really did pay attention to anything), Stephen was the first to declare that he was out for the night. Soon after, Maria conceded, at which point Punk had to take her to her hotel, since she couldn't really stay here, and he had a feeling she didn't want to. Plus, Punk wanted to spend time with her; it had been a long time since she had been around, and while he knew she was staying for a few weeks this time, he still missed her. He also sort of wanted to convince himself that those thoughts he had been having about Nicole lately were merely a result of Maria's absence, that he was just confusing friendly feelings for other, slightly stronger ones. A night with his girlfriend should fix that, or at least, he sincerely hoped so.

After they bid Nikki good night, Punk wrapped his arm around Maria's shoulders, leading her outside. As he was driving, he glanced at her briefly, asking, "So, did you have fun?"

He sincerely hoped he was right when he thought that she and Nikki might actually like each other. Maria seemed pretty good with the blonde, and vice versa, but women were always unpredictable. What if it was just an act? What if Maria was, and he almost shuddered just thinking about it, one of those girls who got jealous if she saw her boyfriend even so much as smile at another girl? He hadn't been in that situation so far in their relationship, and Punk didn't know if he would be good at dealing with it. In fact, he knew he wouldn't be very good about it; sometimes, his temper got the better of him, although that was rather rare.

Maria's grin, however, reassured him slightly. "I did. Nicole seems pretty cool."

It took a lot of self-restraint for Maria not to voice some of her other thoughts. While she did think Nikki was okay, for now at least, she couldn't help but feel a little bit threatened by the younger girl's presence. She trusted Phil completely, but they spent so much time together over the past few months, and Maria was nowhere in sight. It didn't help that she couldn't shake the image of Punk and Nicole, looking like they were having the time of their lives, earlier that night. He had looked so carefree, like he was just having fun. Maria didn't get to see that side of him often, and it made her think about their relationship a little more in depth. Could Phil possibly have enjoyed Nicole's company over hers?

She said nothing though, as she asked, "How's she doing in the ring?" She sincerely hoped the blonde was doing well, if only to put some distance between her and Punk.

Punk shrugged, replying casually, "She's good, a little unorthodox, but hey, I'm no stranger to that. She's a flyer." He added the last bit with a wry laugh; just two days ago he had been on the receiving end of one of Nicole's high jump-attacks. It surprised him; itshouldn't have, since she did mention a background in martial arts. He glanced at Maria again, to see if there was anything in her face that could betray what she was thinking, but he saw nothing in particular.

That is, until she spoke again.

"So she might get called to OVW soon, right?" Maria asked, a little too eagerly.

"Yeah, I guess so," he answered. "You seem kind of excited for that. What's up?"

Maria sighed, twisting her fingers together, as she practically lied through her teeth, "Don't get me wrong, I like her, a lot, actually, but I'm not too fond of the fact that you spend more time with her than with me," as he opened his mouth to no doubt bring up her absence, she added quickly, "Yeah, I know I've been away. And I'm not saying you shouldn't train her. I'm just being a girl. Just promise me that I have nothing to worry about?"

Punk smiled at Maria, feeling guilt twist inside of him. He was glad he was pretty good at hiding his innermost thoughts; otherwise he wouldn't be able to stop himself from hurting this amazing woman. Phil really didn't know what was going on, though. He liked Maria very much; she was awesome, ever since they started dating and she still was. But for reasons beyond his understanding, he never really felt completely at ease when he was with his girlfriend. That was not to say he was uncomfortable, or that he disliked spending time with her, because he didn't. But the thing was, she was his girlfriend, and that was it. He couldn't see a relationship between the two of them if that wasn't the case. He couldn't let loose around her, he wasn't entirely himself. He couldn't just be her friend; it would be awkward and confusing. And it did not help at all that their time together was rather limited. He felt guilty; this wasn't Maria's fault, and the truth was that she probably had every reason to be worried. But Phil could take control of things; he would make sure their relationship survived.

He waited until he parked in front of her building, before taking Maria's hand in his own, "You have absolutely nothing to worry about. So let's just forget about this, alright?"

Maria's anxiety was calmed down a little by Punk's words, and she smiled at him, nodding silently. At least she knew that she had nothing to worry about when it came to her boyfriend; she wasn't too sure about Nicole. Maria would have most likely gotten along with her very well, if she wasn't a threat to her relationship. She just seemed like the type to cause trouble; even in the brief time that they spent with her tonight, Maria noted how flirty the blonde girl was. The only reassuring thing was that she didn't single out Punk with her flirting. Maria wasn't sure how to feel about that. Was Nicole just a freaky flirt, or was she trying to be ambiguous about her intentions when it came to her boyfriend?

Maria suppressed a sigh, as they exited the car, heading up to her hotel room. Just before they entered the place, she stopped, wrapping her arms around Punk's neck, and said, "I missed you so much." Smiling softly, Maria closed the gap between them, kissing him deeply. If she couldn't get rid of Nicole, at least she could make sure she was as far away from her boyfriend's thoughts as possible.

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_**A/N:** _

_a bit of a shorter chapter, and no Nikki! -legasp- lol. I'm trying not to portray Maria as the 'bad guy', so I hope that I'm succeeding? Let me know!_

_**PrettyReckless09**: haha, don't worry, they will...I think. Thanks for reviewing!_

_Once again, thanks to all the reviewers, and readers!_

_Please review ;)_


	6. Chapter 6: Let

_**Disclaimer: **_

_No, I don't own any of the WWE wrestlers, divas, associates, CEO's, anyone else lol. I only own Nikki, Stephen Nichols, and my ideas._

* * *

Later that night, after Maria bid Steve and Nicole goodnight, Nikki could be seen sitting on the couch alone, lost in thought. The TV was off, as were most of the lights, except the kitchen ones, but she sort of liked it that way. It was nice, and it gave the apartment a bit of a mystic feeling. After sleeping through most of the day, it was a bit difficult to go back to sleep now. She glanced at her watch, biting back a groan when she saw that it was only fifteen minutes past midnight. Nicole was grateful that tomorrow was at least a weekend, so she wasn't going to have to suffer through sleep deprivation while training.

Nikki's mind was much too full for her liking. She preferred having to focus on one thing only at a time, and let everything else fall to the sidelines. It was why she had quite a bit of trouble focusing during high school; she excelled in the more practical subjects, like phys-ed and dance, but, as her brother loved to remind her, she was absolutely terrible at everything else. She did the bare minimum, just for the sake of getting that diploma, and never looked back again. Right now, she had too many concerns; Nikki wanted to focus on making her wrestling dreams come to life. It was the plan from the beginning, but now, the unexpected loss of her brother's support was a set-back. As much as she hated to admit it, Punk was right; she was going to have to quit her job. As if that wasn't enough to cramp Nikki's mind (she really was a simple person!), now she also had to deal with her unhealthy crush on her _taken_ trainer.

Nikki had honestly expected to dislike –if not hate- Maria. But the redhead sort of confused Nicole; she acted naturally, she was pretty cool and funny, and most importantly, Nikki could tell that Maria was trying to pass it off as being completely unaffected by her presence in Phil's life. Nikki didn't know if it was just wish fulfillment, but she sort of got the vibe that Maria wasn't as passive as she acted. Maybe it was all in her head, but Nicole could have sworn that Maria had sent her a warning look as she left.

She couldn't help it; she liked Punk. She had tried to get over it, but the fact was, she liked him, and keeping up this platonic relationship thing was so much harder than she expected. She had managed to do it so far, and she knew she could keep it up, but it was tough and rather exhausting, especially for someone who didn't usually take relationships seriously. Was there really a point in dating someone, if a break up is almost always just out there, in the horizon, if you look far enough. Her parents and her brother didn't exactly set up a good example of what a stable 'marriage' was.

Nikki's train of thoughts was disrupted, however, by the sound of feet coming towards the living room. She turned just in time to see Steve make a double take, as he noticed her there. Nicole smiled softly, "Hey."

"Hey, why are you still up? I don't think Punk's coming home, if that's what you're waiting for," replied Stephen. He proceeded to pour himself a glass of water, before drinking it as he studied Nicole.

She shook her head, "Nah, I'm just thinking. And I'm not sleepy, I sort of woke up about an hour before you and Maria got here." When Steve raised his eyebrows, Nikki smiled, explaining, "I was up for a long time the other night. Working."

"Fun, fun. A penny for your thoughts?" Steve asked. While he and Nikki got along rather well in the presence of others, sometimes he found it awkward talking to her when it was just the two of them. He knew it was mostly because he didn't know her very well, but there was more. He felt sort of uneasy about her friendship with Phil; they got along so well, as if they had known each other for years, and it kind of annoyed Steve.

Nikki must have sensed that too, because instead of answering his question, she replied with a question of her own, with hints of sarcasm, "Tell me something, Stephen. Are you always this uptight, or am I special? I'd really like to think I'm special, but..." She trailed away, resting her chin between her knees, as she sat with them hugged against her chest.

Steve's face reddened slightly; he didn't think he was that obvious. After all, he treated her pretty well, they joked around, pretended that he was just as happy about her being here as Punk obviously was. But apparently, she picked up on things; maybe there was a brain under that hair. Stephen shrugged, "I've got to share a room with a neatfreak because of you. Thanks a lot."

It was true; most people wouldn't guess it, but Punk was sometimes scary when it came to keeping things neat and tidy. Now that Nikki lived in his room (although most of his belongings were still there), and he shared Steve's room with him, the latter guy had to make sure things were as neat as possible. Otherwise, he would never hear the end of it. He had to admit, Nikki suffered from the same issue; whenever Punk went to get his clothes or anything, Steve could hear the two of them arguing over the state of the room. Most of the time, Punk got his way, but Steve had a feeling that was just to get him off of her case.

He glanced up to see Nikki's eyes were fixed on him calculatingly. She didn't buy it. He sighed, choosing to come clean, or at least, partially so, "I've lived with Punk for a while, and it was always just us guys, you know, being guys. And now there's you. It's a bit difficult to just be a guy when there's a girl around."

Nikki rolled her eyes, saying, "Oh please, I can totally be a guy. I mean, you guys can just, y'know, be yourselves. I'm not asking you to change anything for me."

Stephen grimaced; it really wasn't that simple, but girls just didn't get it. He sighed, "You don't _look_ like a guy." He smirked.

"I'm sure I can do something about that; buy a mask, or a body suit," Nikki said sarcastically."I mean, I think I would totally make one hell of a hot guy!" Looking more serious, she added, "Dude, honestly, just chill out. I'm not going to make you go shopping for pretty shoes and purses with me."

Stephen laughed, saying, "Does that mean I can't make you shoot some hoops with me? You're probably decent at that, don't you have a brother or something?" Punk had mentioned something about her annoying brother, but he didn't say much else.

Nikki shook her head, pouting slightly, "No, I've actually never tried it." At Steve's mildly surprised look, she explained, "My brother is like, thirteen years older than me."

"Seriously?" exclaimed Steve. He ran his fingers through his hair, a little bit overwhelmed, "Wow, your parents must really like kids."

"No, not really," Nikki smiled wryly. "I was a bit of an accidental, unplanned arrival."

Steve chuckled, commenting, "Right from the start, huh?"

Nikki threw a cushion at him, but the corners of her lips were twitching as she attempted to resist smiling. She began twirling a strand of hair around her finger, saying, "That's not all, is it? The whole guys' place thing." When Stephen narrowed his eyes slightly, she continued, "Come on, I'm blonde, but I'm not stupid."

Stephen frowned, "It's going to sound a lot worse than it really is, so don't say I didn't warn you." Nicole shrugged, as if telling him she could handle it, so he continued "It's just that I feel like you came out of nowhere, you know, 'unplanned arrival', and now Punk treats you like he's known you forever. Sometimes I think he prefers spending time with you. So first grade, right?"

He snorted; even as he thought about it, he felt like a child, upset because his best-friend is playing with other people in the playground. He was a twenty-six years old man, for God's sake.

Nikki's reaction was typical; she was fighting the urge to laugh, and he could see it so clearly. He knew he shouldn't have told her; his irritation must have shown on his face, because Nikki quickly said, "No, don't be mad." She adjusted herself on the sofa, "It's just that I think it's ridiculous. I mean, he's known you forever, and it's not like I'm going to stick around that long. I'll be gone once I get a developmental contract; I'm just temporary."

A curious look graced her face as she said the last bit; was that disappointment Steve detected? It was strange. He frowned, "You don't seem too happy about that. I thought WWE was it for you. The big dream, and all that jazz?"

Nicole looked away, nodding slowly, and said, "It is; I can't wait. It's just...it's nothing."

It was Stephen's turn to be curious. If it wasn't the WWE thing, then what was it? His mind went back to something he had noticed two days ago, when Punk told them Maria was visiting. He had thought it was just his mind playing games with him, but he could have sworn he saw a look of disappointment on Nikki's face. Almost like she didn't want Maria to come. It was very similar to the look he saw a few minutes ago.

Stephen couldn't believe it. He raised his eyebrow, asking directly, "This is about Punk, isn't it? Do you have a thing for him?" He wasn't really fond of beating around the bush; if he wanted to know something, he was just coming out and asking.

Nicole glanced at him sharply, a bit of colour seeping into her cheeks. She didn't have to say a thing; that was as good as a confession. It was pretty strange, because Stephen had given up on that idea a few days after she moved in with them. It was just because Nikki was always so casual, and she treated him and Punk the same way. He highly doubted she liked them both.

"Wow. I'm actually sort of surprised. And you and Maria were all buddy-buddy tonight too!" Steve exclaimed, unable to restrain a small snort. It wasn't like he didn't feel bad for the girl, but he knew Punk was pretty happy with Maria...or at least, that was what he thought.

Nicole groaned, saying, "I know, I know! I was so ready to hate her or, at least be indifferent, but now I'm not too sure." The blonde girl looked frustrated, and very much lost, as she spoke, more to herself than to Stephen, "I mean, she acted like everything was cool, and she was pretty good about me being here, when most girls wouldn't be, but then...I'm not sure that was sincere. Of course, I could be making stuff up in my head...but...yeah...I'll shut up now." Nikki added, as she noted the amused look on Steve's face. She sighed, banging her head against the back of the sofa, before saying, "You can't tell Punk this. I don't want to stir up trouble, and as much as I'd like to think I'm perfect, I do still need a trainer."

Steve kind of had to feel for the girl. It helped him be more sympathetic, now that he knew she wasn't out to steal his place. No, Maria was the one in trouble, and she didn't even know it. But Steve didn't think Nikki wanted to go there, surprisingly. It was pretty cool of her, though, he had to admit. Slowly, he made his way over to the sofa, taking a seat next to her.

He lightly kicked her shin, "Hey, don't beat yourself up over this. Phil's not the last man on earth, trust me. I mean, there's me!" He grinned when she looked at him, smiling weakly; if he couldn't make her feel better, at least he could take her mind off things.

"You're not too bad, I guess," Nikki replied jokingly. "Promise to kick me if I ever try to be mean to Maria?"

Stephen chuckled, before nodding, adding jokingly, "I'd love nothing more. You know, you should come with me one night, go clubbing or something. There's one thing you can't do with Punk." Well, technically, that wasn't very true. Steve had dragged Punk out to the clubs with him a few times, but the man adamantly refused to do anything but flirt with a few girls and complain the entire time, claiming that he was a good guy and only had eyes for his girlfriend. It blew Stephen's mind! It was at times like these that he preferred the pre-girlfriend version of his friend.

He nudged Nikki in the ribs gently, adding, "And I've got a few friends you might like. Sound good?"

Nikki's smile widened, as she laughed a little, "It sounds perfect." Her expression sobered up a little, as she stood up. "Thanks. You're pretty cool, you know."

Steve smiled back at her, "So I've been told. But you're not that bad yourself. If you just work a little bit more on the hair, maybe be a little nicer..." Nikki stood up, throwing another cushion at him. As she rolled her eyes and headed to her room, he called out, "Good night." She replied with a wave, and disappeared behind the door.

Stephen stood up, chuckling quietly. He never would have guessed that by the end of the night, Public Enemy No. 1 could turn into something like a friend. People were just plain weird. Maybe he should move to Mars...

* * *

_**A/N:** I sort of love Stephen xD I hope you guys like him. What did you think about the chapter in general?_

_**OriginalBP**: I'm glad you're still on board lol. I don't want to portray Maria as the bad guy, so I'm glad you liked it. I'm a firm believer in shades of gray lol. Keep reading :)_

_As always, thanks to all the reviewers, and readers!_

_Please review; they make me smile and feel suuupeeeerr happy -lameiknowiknow-_


	7. Chapter 7: Deck the halls

_**Disclaimer: **_

_No, I don't own any of the WWE wrestlers, divas, associates, CEO's. I wish I did...but, yeah, I only own my OC's, and my ideas._

_**Timeline:** **Christmas, 2005**_

* * *

It was just past seven o'clock, on a Sunday morning, when Nicole began tiptoeing her way towards the guys' room. She was pretty pumped today, for reasons beyond her understanding, really. Christmas was never that big for her family; her mother was often either too high or too drunk to even remember what time of the year it was, her brother spent it with his friends, and more recently, with his own family. But her father sort of enjoyed it; unfortunately for both Nikki and her father, he was often either on parole, and too tense to enjoy it, or in jail. She didn't really understand the importance of it, when she was younger, but as she grew older, she became more excited to celebrate it after she moved out, she supposed. Pushing the thoughts aside, Nikki was pleased to see that Stephen's room's door was slightly ajar. She quietly pushed it, slipping into the room. She made her way towards Stephen's bed, poking him lightly several times, until he woke up. When his eyes groggily opened, she gestured for him to follow her outside, with her finger pressed on her lip, so that he didn't make too much noise. Lucky for the sandy-haired guy, he wasn't her target today; no, he would get to be her accomplice. She didn't really feel like dying alone...

Once they were far away from Steve's room and its single inhabitant now, Nikki grinned at Stephen, saying in a low voice, "Merry Christmas!" He looked rather disgruntled, no doubt because of the hour, but she continued anyways, "Don't look so gloomy. I've got an idea; how would you like to get your dear friend back for anything he's ever done to you?"

She was grinning mischievously, her eyes twinkling, and despite his better judgement –and his grogginess- Steve found himself becoming somewhat excited about whatever she had planned. Whatever it was, it was definitely going to annoy Punk, and really, who didn't want to see that? No one, that was who.

Five minutes later, the two of them were armed with party horns, confetti, and the sheer power of their lungs. Nikki was practically bouncing off the walls, and Stephen couldn't help but shake his head at her; some of the excitement was rubbing off on him, much to the disadvantage of his sleeping friend.

Quietly, they entered the room, approaching Punk. Steve raised three finger up, counting down to one. Almost as soon as the last finger went down, Nikki launched herself on Punk's bed, while she and Steve both blew on their party horns loudly, throwing confetti everywhere, and yelling, "MERRY CHRISTMAS, PUNKSTER!" Nikki began jumping on the bed, yelling some more, "Wake up, Brooks!"

Unfortunately, the dark-haired man's reaction was not to their favour (not that either of them seemed to really notice). Stephen received a push that had him staggering a few steps back, while Nikki narrowly missed a punch aimed at her head, slipping to fall on the floor in the process. Still, it did not seem to affect the hilarity of the situation; both Steve and Nicole were dying of laughter, as a series of profanity and cursing escaped Punk's mouth. Nikki was rolling around on the floor, tears streaming down her face, as Steve leaned against the closet behind him for suppurt.

Sitting up straight, Punk spit out some confetti, before looking at his two roommates like they were psychotic, "What the hell is wrong with you? Dammit, it's seven o'clock, on a fucking Sunday." When the laughter wouldn't subside, Phil shook his head, before falling back on his pillow and pulling his blanket to cover his face, "Two minutes. Get out or I swear I'll make you two wish you were never born." He really did not appreciate being woken up in this fashion. Idiots.

Nikki tried to pull herself together, as she leaned against the side of the bed. After a moment, she caught her breath, saying, "You're such a loser. It's Christmas morning, wake up already!" When Punk wouldn't move, she added in a sing-song voice, "I've got presents...and I'll even throw in a nice breakfast...I make some good waffles...I think...when they're not burnt."

"I'll waffle your face," was the muffled reply from under the covers. "Go away."

Stephen had finally stopped laughing, but Punk's reaction was still too funny. "Come on, man. Free breakfast. We don't get that often." He glanced at Nikki, who had proceeded to sit on the edge of the bed, bouncing up and down. Steve smirked, adding, "And I don't think she's going anywhere until you wake up."

After a moment of silence, came a roar that almost scared Nicole and Steve, if the situation wasn't so funny. However, Punk did sit up, although he was glaring daggers at the two of them, "Fine. I want extra waffles." He glowered at the other two, but all he got in return were wide, way too happy grins. Stupid Christmas. He never really did like it.

An hour later, Punk's mood had only gone from about extreme anger to extreme annoyance, but the waffles did ease the whole situation a bit. He looked up, only to see Nikki trying not to grin in amusement from the opposite side of the kitchen counter, as his frown was still firmly in place. Steve had just received a call from his parents; he was in the other room, and from the sound of it, the entire family was there to talk to him.

Finally, after nearly five minutes of silence, Nikki couldn't take it anymore. "Oh_ come on_, it wasn't that bad," she said, smirking. "You want to laugh about it, I know you do."

Punk sent her a glare, swallowing, before taking a sip of his glass of milk, and replying, "Do I look like I'm about to laugh?" That wiped the smirk off of Nicole's face, and brought one on his instead. He took another forkful of his waffles, before asking, "Why do you like Christmas so much anyway? No wonder you and your brother don't get along; did you do that to him every year too?"

The expression that appeared on the blonde's face was unexpected; it was a wistful, almost sad one. She shrugged it off almost as soon as it appeared, but not before Punk noticed it. It was these little things that intrigued him about Nikki; the way she went about life with this wide smile, but if you look close enough, there's more behind that bright expression. The little things, they were so interesting.

Nikki pushed her empty plate away, before replying, "Actually, no." She laughed wryly, adding, "My family never really celebrated Christmas; they were all usually too busy with one thing or the other. But, I don't know, I guess I just always wanted to have a normal Christmas, you know, and decorate a tree, run around in the snow, and stuff like that." She was holding a glass of orange juice in her hands, and as she spoke, she moved it around, "My roommates in New York were alright, but we weren't really that close, there was like, seven of us. I mean, most of them went home for the holidays anyway."

The look on her face was really something. Her eyes were practically sparkling, as she spoke of the tree, and well, her dream Christmas. Phil almost felt like he understood her, and in a way, he sort of did. He sometimes used to wish his family was more orthodox, but then he would remember that if things were any different, he might not be the man he was today, and Phil sort of liked that guy.

The look, however, faded away from Nikki's face, as she said, "Just be glad it's a one day thing; hopefully by next Christmas I'll be gone to bigger and better things."

Punk chuckled along with her, as Stephen entered the kitchen again. He sat next to Punk, saying, "I hate phone calls. I think I talked to people I didn't even know I was related to!"

Nicole giggled, before finishing the glass of orange juice she was drinking. She placed it in the sink, and made her way over to her room, as she said, "Well, if you excuse me, I have to make a few phone calls of my own." She blew them both kisses, as she entered her room, adding, with a wink, "Enjoy your Nikki-free time wisely!"

Punk watched until he saw that her door was closed, before turning to look at his waffles thoughtfully. Steve must have noticed this, because a moment later he asked, "What's on your mind?"

Punk looked up to his friend, an idea already formulating in his mind, as he asked, "How would you like to go Christmas tree shopping with me? I don't really know where to go, or what's a good tree, or much."

Stephen frowned, quite confused. Christmas trees? Where did that come from? This was the man who, ten minutes ago, was grumbling, swearing, and making very painful threats and warnings. However, Steve shrugged, "Uhh, I guess I can help you out...but why again would we do that?"

"I heard it can be fun," Punk replied casually. He finished his milk, before standing up, and walking towards the door, grabbing his coat as he did so, "Do you know where we can buy decorations?"

Stephen was really confused, but he didn't argue. He had seen Phil focused like this before, and he knew there was no point in trying to figure out what brought this on or how they were going to do it, or anything of the sort. Whatever plan was on Punk's mind was already made, and ready to go.

As he exited the apartment, Punk yelled out to Nikki, "Hey Nik, we're just going to get some groceries." They waited until they heard her reply, before closing the door behind them.

Sometimes, Steve really didn't get his friend.

About two hours later, Stephen and Punk could be seen lifting a rather small Christmas tree out of Steve's car. It was the best they could find, considering how late they were. They did, however, manage to find a wide variety of Christmas decorations. Punk was a little concerned about how they were going to surprise Nikki with this, and he had almost accepted the fact that he wasn't going to get it decorated before she saw it. Fate was on his side, however, as they found a note on the kitchen counter from Nikki.

'_Hey, went over to the Lennors. Joey's going to love his present! Be back soon, maybe. –xoxo, Nikki'_

"Perfect," muttered Punk under his breath. Steve heard this, and, after putting the bag of decorations on the floor near the tree, he came to investigate. After his eyes swept over the note, and glancing at the tree, he sort of put two and two together. Phil and Nikki were talking while he was on the phone with his parents, then Phil suddenly decides that he wants to buy a Christmas tree. Steve was no idiot; his bestfriend was never a holidays' fan. This was Nikki's idea, but he wasn't exactly sure that she knew Phil was doing this. Steve wasn't sure he liked this situation.

"Unbelievable, Phillip! This was for Nikki?" he exclaimed, gesturing at the items of their recent shopping. "I hate to break it to you, but don't you already have a girl to impress? Red hair, tall, nice legs, I think her name is, oh, I don't know..._.Maria?_"

Punk winced; Steve only referred to him with his full name when he was extremely agitated. He still didn't turn around to face his friend, as he began trying to find a good place to put the tree, but he did respond casually, "I'm just doing a friend a favour. I'm not trying to impress anyone." He hardly thought Steve was going to let it go, but for now, Punk was denying anything other than his being a good friend. It was the truth, anyway, wasn't it? Hopefully, if he kept on saying that, it will become true. Hopefully.

Stephen obviously didn't think so, as he approached Phil, taking out the decorations and helping his friend. He may not like the way Phil was fooling himself, and those two girls in turn, but they already bought the stuff; they might as well get something done. He rolled his eyes, saying sceptically, "Really? You wouldn't do this for me, would you? When you invited her to live with us, I sort of believed that you're just being kind, although I still think I only did because she's pretty," he added, as a side note. He tended to get distracted a lot, but this time, Stephen wasn't letting this go, "But now you're buying her a tree and decorating the house? You _hate_ the holidays!"

Phil hated this; he hated how Steve knew him a little too well for his liking. However, the fact that his friend was very much right did not mean that Phil was about to admit that to him. Nope, he could easily fool him into thinking he had it all wrong, or at least, Phil could make him give up on arguing with him about the subject. He shrugged, saying, "I would too do it for you. You never asked, did you?" He gave his friend a pointed look, before going back to decorating the tree, "Besides, you're always saying I should be more considerate. Well, I'm being considerate and acknowledging the fact that Nik has always wanted this. And I don't hate the holidays; I just think they're pointless." He gestured at the tree and decorations, before glancing at the clock; he had a feeling Nikki would be here anytime now.

Stephen knew there was no point in arguing with Phil. He knew he could convince him to cut it out, but that would mean revealing Nikki's secret, and he had promised her he wouldn't. It put Steve in quite a predicament; he knew this would lead Nikki on, but telling Phil would ruin everything for all four of them. He figured that this was going to end with a mess either way; it's just that if he kept his mouth shut, they could postpone the mess. Maybe.

He shrugged, saying, "Whatever you say, Punkster. Just be careful, alright?" Phil nodded, but he said nothing; Steve highly doubted he really heard what he said, but there was only so much he could do.

Stephen shook his head, before he reached for the silver star, planning to place it on top of the tree. Punk was picking up the plastic bags and paper, but when he glanced up, he said, "No! Leave that. I was thinking Nikki would put it on, it's kind of a nice gesture...I think." He wasn't really sure what happened. He hadn't celebrated a Christmas with his family since he was fifteen, but he vaguely remembered some things. At the look that Steve gave him, he added defensively, "What? If we're doing this, we'll do it the proper way."

Stephen really didn't think Punk knew what he was doing; this was going to end disastrously, and he would have to pick up the pieces. Only, Steve didn't know if he could; too many people will be hurt.

He was distracted from his thoughts by the sound of Nikki's voice, heading up to their apartment no doubt, talking on her cell phone. Punk headed towards the other end of the living room, next to the light switch, turning it off. Steve sighed, but played along, keeping quiet, as they heard Nikki fiddling with her keys.

"Alright, Jake, I'll keep that in mind when, and if, I visit," she said, as the door knob turned. She sounded pretty annoyed, but by now, Steve and Punk were used to hearing that tone, whenever Nikki spoke to her family. As she opened the door, they saw her hesitate as she walked in to the darkness. She stuffed her keys in her pockets, speaking on her cell phone, "Uhm, Jake, I'mma have to call you later. Bye." Without waiting for an answer, she cut the call, and called out, "Steve? Punk? Are you guys here?"

Stephen tiptoed his way quietly towards her, as she started looking for the light switch nearest to the door. Once he was close enough behind her, he reached for her, grabbing her by the waist. Nikki shrieked, before pushing him away, and delivering a sharp kick to his abdomen. He yelped in pain, falling on the floor beside her, and covered his head, in anticipation of more violence. Fortunately for him, Phil realised what was happening, and called out, "Nik, don't hurt him, it's just Steve! Nik!" Her foot was inches from his head when she stopped.

The lights were suddenly on; Steve wasn't sure who turned them on, but he was glad someone did. Nikki's voice came from above his head as she exclaimed, "Oh my God, Stephen! Oh, God, I'm so sorry, I just...you scared me, you freak!" Placing a tentative hand on his shoulder, she asked, "Are you okay?"

Steve managed to sit up, and answered faintly, "I'm fine, just as long as I don't move for the next 24 hours. Thanks a lot!" He sent a sharp glare Phil's way when the other guy doubled up in laughter. "You...this is all your fault!"

Nikki looked confused, as she glanced from Steve to Phil. She seemed to be completely oblivious to the tree sitting next to the fireplace. "What the hell is going on? What were you guys doing?" she asked, sounding sort of annoyed.

Phil finally managed to catch his breath and stop laughing, with great difficulty, though. He smirked, casually making his way to the fireplace, as he answered, "We were just trying out the fireplace in the dark, to see if it looked good." He knew that he sounded lame, but really, he had no idea what to say.

Nikki frowned in confusion, her eyes following him as he walked. It wasn't until he was standing right in front of the fireplace that she noticed the small Christmas tree sitting next to it, with a few presents under it. The look of confusion was gradually replaced by one of surprise, pleasant surprise, but still, Nikki was shocked. It was wonderfully adorned with blue decorations, and it was sparkly and colourful and...Nikki was simply left speechless. It was perfect.

Finally, she managed to put two words together and said weakly, "I...I'm not sure what to say..." She stood up, approaching the tree, and she almost felt like crying. Except, Nikki didn't _do _crying...not too often, at least. The tree, the whole idea, it was just so nice!

Punk shrugged, saying, "Well, I think a thank you would be nice...maybe dinner on you...you know, something like that." He winked at her, indicating that he was just joking.

Nikki laughed, glancing from him to Steve, who was standing by Punk now. She approached the two of them, hugging them tightly, "You guys are the best. Thanks!" She pulled away slightly and took a couple of steps back, her smile turning into a bit of a smirk, as she addressed Punk, "But dinner's still on you, Pretty Boy."

Punk chuckled, "Ah well, it was worth a try."

He was about to say something else, when Kanye West's 'Gold Digger' ringtone filled the room. Stephen stuffed his hand in his pocket, taking out his cell phone. His face practically lit up when he glanced at the cell phone's screen, "Ahh, guys, I gotta take this. Carry on without me." He grinned, nodding at them, and answered the phone as he headed to his room, "Hey gorgeous, merry Christmas!"

Nikki laughed, watching Steve's back, and asked, "Do you have any idea who that was?"

Punk shook his head, replying, "I can't keep up with Steve. There's a new one every two weeks." He rolled his eyes, before bending to pick up something from a bag on the floor. He passed the star to Nikki, "I think the norm is for the little one to put this on, right?"

Nikki took the star from him, grinning at him widely, before heading over to the tree and placing the star on top. She adjusted it, until it looked right, before standing up straight, "Perfect!" She turned to face Punk, smiling at him sincerely, and hugged him again, saying, "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Phil hugged her back, smiling in spite of himself. This felt so right, having Nicole in his arms, being around her. As the thought crossed his mind, he began realising that Stephen could be right. This might be a little more trouble than it was worth, than he could handle. Anyone could tell that he didn't know what the hell was going on, just by glancing at his face. When Nikki pulled back, Punk didn't let go right away. She glanced at him with a curious look, but at that moment, he was too busy trying to resist the temptation. She was so close; if he just leaned in, just tilted her head slightly, their lips would meet. His eyes locked in on hers, and he could see that she felt it too. The temptation, the possibilities. It was excruciating, just standing there. Just as his impulses were about to take over, Stephen's footsteps could be heard, making their way towards the living room. Phil let go of Nikki, taking a couple of steps back. For once, he was grateful for his goof of a friend's presence; Punk had no idea how he would have dealt with the consequences of what he had just been about to do.

Nikki wasn't so sure what had just happened. She knew that she sort of had feelings for Phil, but when she hugged him, she honestly did it just out of gratitude. She didn't think he was _just_ being a nice friend when he wouldn't let go of her. It was so close, he was so close. If she hadn't been transfixed by the look in his eyes, she was sure that she would have made the first move. Then again, maybe it was for the best that Stephen showed up when he did. Maybe she was making it all up, maybe it was just in her head.

At that moment, Steve emerged from his room, frowning at his phone. When he reached Nikki and Punk, blissfully oblivious to the tension in the room, he glanced at the former, asking, "Hey, do you have any plans for tonight?"

Nikki frowned, shaking her head slowly, "Not that I know of. Why, what's up?"

Steve gestured at his phone, "That was my date for tonight's Charity Ball. She can't make it, so I need a spare date." He grinned at her, adding, "Nikki Valentine, would you like to be my spare date?"

Punk and Nikki laughed, both relieved to have a lighter conversation going on, but Nikki shrugged, rolling her eyes and saying, "I guess I can make your dreams come true for one night." She figured it could be fun, and she hadn't had a chance to dress up in a while. She gave Steve a look, however, adding, "By the way, don't _ever _ask a girl to be you '_spare_ date' again. You're lucky I'm feeling generous." She smirked, winking at him.

Steve snorted, replying, "You're supposed to be 'one of the guys', remember? I have the right to practice pick up lines and things like that on you." He grinned, to indicate that he was just joking, but that still didn't save him from a kick to the shin.

Meanwhile, Punk frowned, pulling out his cell phone and checking something. He looked pretty amused, once he put it away, "Looks like we'll all be going." At the other two's questioning looks, he explained, "Maria texted me last night about this dance thing that she wanted us to go to. Charity Ball, apparently."

Nicole smiled, and somehow managed to say convincingly, "That should be fun!"

She ran her fingers through her hair, thinking. She was going to have to go dig up her nice evening dresses, and figure out what to do with her hair. Although it might be fruitless, and kind of petty, she felt the need to try and look better than Maria, despite -or perhaps because of- the tense moment she and Punk just had. Yeah, it was silly, but Nikki was still a girl, and it had been a while since she got to dress up. Plus, wasn't it natural for girls to strive to out-do each other? She was just being a normal girl.

Clapping her hands together, she spoke to the two guys, "Alright, I'm going to go and try and put something together for tonight." She smirked at Stephen, adding, "Wouldn't want to embarrass Mr. Nichols here."

* * *

_**A/N:** _

_So close! I almost went on with the kiss...but this is more fun, in my opinion anyway. I hope you guys liked it. Hopefully, we'll get into more about their respective families...I've got some surprises for y'all there ;)_

_As always, thanks to all the reviewers, and readers!_

_Please review; they make me smile and feel suuupeeeerr happy -lameiknowiknow-_


	8. Chapter 8: Charity Ball

**Disclaimer: **

No, I don't own any of the WWE wrestlers, divas, associates, CEO. I wish I did...but, yeah, I only own my OC's, and my ideas.

* * *

"Alright, we'll be there in ten minutes," said Punk to Maria, as he spoke to her on the phone.

He glanced at the watch, and frowned. He didn't know if they were going to make it there on time. Sighing, he looked at the door to his former room, now Nicole's. She was still in there. She had been in there for almost two hours now. How long does it take to put on some fancy dress and get out? It didn't help that he was totally irritated by the suit he was wearing. Dressing fancy was not his thing; it kind of bugged him, and he tried to do it as little as possible. Punk had seriously considered going with a new t-shirt and some jeans, but he really did not fancy the idea of Maria killing him for it. She was already irritated with him lately; he didn't need to make it worse.

"If I was you, I wouldn't have made that promise," said Steve, leaning against the kitchen counter. For reasons beyond Punk's understanding, Stephen was enjoying watching Punk being harassed via phone calls from Maria, as they waited for Nikki to come out. He glowered at his friend, but chose not to respond.

"Nik, if you don't get out here in a minute, we're leaving without you!" he called out, annoyed, as he paced the living room.

"No we're not, take your time, love," added Stephen, smirking, as his friend sent him yet another death glare. He really was getting a kick out of Punk's 'misery'.

Meanwhile, inside her room, Nikki was in the process of putting on some perfume, ignoring her anxious roommates. Once they saw her, she was pretty sure annoyance would be far far away from their minds. After that was done, she took one last look at herself in the mirror, before smirking in satisfaction. She looked good, and she knew it.

"Alright, I'm coming," she replied, grabbing her tiny, totally-can't-hold-anything-but-a-cell-phone purse off of her bed, and heading out. She grinned at the guys, saying, "Sorry, I had to make sure I look good enough to be a Nichols' _'spare date'_"

Steve glanced at Nikki, planning to tell her that she still didn't achieve her goal, when his jaw practically hit the floor. On first glance, the girl that had just walked out of Nicole's room looked almost nothing like her; it was as if you were looking at her taller, older, sexier sister. She was wearing a short, strapless pink dress that reached up to her mid-thigh, with matching heels. Her legs seemed to go on forever, and her normally wavy hair –often tied up in a bun or a ponytail, or just messily let down- was completely straightened, and tucked to the side with a decorative comb. It looked so much longer than it usually did. Stephen glanced at friend, just to make sure that he wasn't seeing things. Punk's raised eyebrows, and his attempt at a neutral expression assured Steve that he wasn't dreaming. He knew his friend wasn't one for gawking, but he could also see the underlying surprised, and probably appreciative, look trying to hide behind his nonchalance.

Steve cleared his throat, approaching Nikki, and said, "I never thought I'd ever be the sexiest girl in the dance's date." He smirked at Punk, adding, "Take that, Brooks."

The other guy rolled his eyes, replying smoothly, "She's your date for one night; my hot girlfriend's my date for every night."

That managed to wipe the smirk off of Steve's face, but he soon turned to face Nikki, asking, "How would you like to be temporary girlfriend?"

Nikki was very satisfied with the guys' reactions. It was plain as day that Stephen was impressed, but she did also manage to catch the look of surprise on Punk's face before he so expertly hid it. She rolled her eyes at Steve, saying, as she made her way to grab her coat, "You're out of luck; that service was discontinued recently. Just make the best out of this night, alright, sweetheart?"

Nikki buttoned up her coat, before approaching the two guys, linking one arm through each of theirs, and led them outside. Tonight was going to be fun. Little did she know that nights like these always came with a healthy dose of surprises.

* * *

The drive to Maria's place was fun; they laughed, taunted Punk, who could do nothing but glare at the road (he was driving), and just all around had fun. But then the redheaded woman arrived, and all of a sudden, everyone seemed to be more interested in looking out the window. That was less apparent on Steve, who was having fun watching the other three. Nikki seemed to find the pattern on her coat exceedingly intriguing; Maria was more interested in her own look, checking, re-checking, and checking again, how her hair and make up looked on the mirror; Phil was just silent. As awkward as the situation might be, for now, Stephen was enjoying analyzing his friends. He wondered if Maria had sensed the growing connection between her boyfriend and Nikki. She didn't appear to have, but women were interesting that way; they liked to play mind games. And even if she had spoken to Phil about it, Steve had a feeling his friend wouldn't tell him, because it would prove him right. Phil had issues with admitting that he could be wrong at times.

Finally, they reached their destination. Steve could swear that Nikki sighed as Punk parked his car; he snorted, glancing at her.

"What?" she asked, her hand reaching to run through her hair; she stopped herself just in time to prevent herself from knocking out her oriental comb.

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all," Steve said. He waited until Phil opened Maria's door and she was outside, before he added, a little more quietly, "If it helps, I think you look sexier than the girlfriend." He winked, feeling a little sympathetic for Nikki.

She rolled her eyes, but he could see hints of a smile on her face. As Nikki got out of the car, she said, "Well, then I guess you're one heck of a lucky guy." She smirked, as she straightened the creases on her coat.

Stephen grinned at her, walking over to gently pull her close to him from the waist. They led the way to the building, as Phil and Maria followed. Punk didn't know what the hell it was, but as he watched Nikki and Steve laugh and flirt shamelessly, something bothered him. Of course, he attributed it all to his uneasiness with this whole 'ball' scene; he liked parties, don't get him wrong. But this was not his idea of a party at all. He would rather go to a club with a few of his friends, dance, have a good time, and if it was a good night, he might even get to laugh his ass off at his friends if they got drunk enough.

Whatever it was, this dance was not his thing. And his annoyance at Steve had absolutely nothing to do with Nikki, he was positive. Why would it be about Nikki? It wasn't like he cared who she went out with, or if she and Steve were getting way too comfortable. She could do whatever she wanted, and be with whomever she chose, and if that happened to be Stephen, well, so what? This was what Phil kept telling himself as he watched his two roommates walking in front of them, but unfortunately, he couldn't quite ignore that nagging feeling that there was more to the situation that that.

His annoyance must have shown on his face, as Maria commented, "Are you okay?" When Phil glanced at her, nodding, she added, a little annoyed herself, "You might want to open the door, instead of glare at it."

Phil was startled to see that they were standing in front of the door. He smiled at Maria sheepishly, saying, "Sorry, you know how I feel about the holidays."

Maria nodded, laughing silently in agreement, but her eyes told a different story. Phil could see that she was worried; what the source of her worry was, he didn't know for sure, but he could easily guess. Unbeknown to him, anyone who observed him lately could correctly guess what was on Maria's mind.

As they entered the community centre building where the Charity Ball was supposed to be held, Phil led Maria to the coat room, as he didn't really think she was planning on spending the night in hers. He wasn't really sure, actually; is that what you did at these things? Everyone seemed to be doing it, so he supposed he could safely assume it is.

Inside the room, Nikki was handing Stephen her coat, after which she pulled out a mirror, and began fixing her hair. Phil didn't get it; didn't she just spend almost two hours doing just that back home? Why do it again? Women were so confusing. Instead of dwelling on the matter –and to prevent himself from staring- he turned to Maria, helping her out of her coat.

She was wearing a long purple evening gown that looked spectacular to her. Stephen, being the ladies' man he was, wasted absolutely no time letting Maria know that.

"Whoa, and I thought I would have the hottest date," he said, nodding at Maria appreciatevily. No sooner than the words left his mouth, he could feel to piercing glares directed at him, just as he expected, from both Nikki and Phil. He shrugged, adding defensively, "What? Can't a guy tell the truth anymore?"

Nikki rolled her eyes, snapping her purse shut. She proceeded to hit Steve lightly with it, "Whatever, Ritchie Rich. _I'm_ your date tonight; eyes over here."

Maria smirked, "Awh, come on, you can't blame poor Steve. I mean, I'm sure you would have looked better if he told you this wasn't just another wild night at the club." She glanced at Nikki's attire briefly, this time around not really bothering to hide her scorn. Maria tried the being nice thing, but obviously neither Phil nor Nicole got the message, so she was going to spell it out a bit clearer for them.

Nikki raised her eyebrow, not missing the obvious sarcasm in the redhead's tone. She didn't confront her about it, however, instead laughing, "You know guys, they don't really know the first thing about anything classy."

Phil, who had remained silent, watching the interaction from a short distance away from Maria, cleared his throat. He stepped forward, wrapping his arm casually around his girlfriend's waist, and said, "Let's go inside, alright?" He nodded at his roommates, giving Steve a pointed look, adding, "We'll see you guys around."

After the couple exited, Nikki turned to Steve, commenting, "I wasn't just imagining that bitch vibe, was I?" Steve's uneasy look confirmed her suspicions, and she nodded, "Didn't think so; oh well. Two can play that game."

"Yes, I'm sure you're right, but tonight is my night, remember?" said Steve, trying to distract Nikki from whatever dangerous thoughts that might be going through her mind. He didn't think it worked, but for the time being, Nikki was being agreeable, from the outside at least.

"Let's go," said Nikki, pulling Steve outside, smiling coyly.

* * *

It was an hour into the dance, and Punk and Maria were taking a bit of a breather, standing by the refreshment table. Maria was sipping on a small glass of champagne, while Punk held a can of Pepsi in his hand. He was watching, out of the corner of his eyes, as Nikki and Stephen danced to some insanely loud and cheerful song, looking like they were truly having fun.

It was so annoying.

Attempting to distract himself, he turned to face Maria, "What's on your mind?" Punk was a little concerned about his girlfriend; she had been a little too quiet the entire time.

Maria gave Punk a bit of a cool look, replying honestly, "Thinking up the various ways in which a certain blonde can 'mysteriously disappear'. You know, the usual."

Punk suppressed a sigh, "I thought we cleared that up? You've got nothing to worry about, alright?"

Maria rolled her eyes, taking another sip out of her glass, before saying, "That sounds pretty good; now say it like you mean it."

Punk was caught off guard by the coldness of Maria's voice, but before he could respond, the voice of the very person they were discussing sounded.

"What's up, lovebirds? Having fun? Steve sure is," said Nikki, looking out of breath and excited. She reached for a drink, as Steve appeared behind her.

"Unfortunately, she's right; dudes, did you know Blondie can dance?" said Steve, looking pretty surprised by that piece of information. He reached for a glass of champagne, downing it all at once, before asking, "What are you two up to?

Phil shrugged, replying, "Taking a break. You look like you need one of those," he smirked, addressing Stephen, "You need to start working out some more."

Stephen grimaced; his bestfriend might be an active guy, but Steve was never really interested in those type of things. He liked watching it, but the most exercise he was willing to go through was running...once a year.

He snorted, "Whatever, macho man," turning to Maria, he smiled, "The night would not be complete if I don't get a dance or two with the most beautiful redhead I know."

Maria laughed, shaking her head at Steve. At first, when she and Phil began dating, Stephen's charm and charisma was slightly unnerving, but as she got to know both of them, she realised that the guy was just goofing around most of the time. However, she wasn't sure dancing with Steve right now was a good idea; it would mean leaving Phil alone with Blondie. She didn't like that idea, but Steve was her friend; she could make sure they didn't go too far away from the refreshment table.

After finishing her champagne, she nodded, "I thought you'd never ask." Maria turned around to give Phil a kiss on the lips, before saying, "I'll be right back, baby."

Nikki had no idea how she did it, but she did manage to restrain herself from making any comments about Maria's not-so-subtle hints. Yeah, Nikki got it, Phil was her boyfriend. She knew that, and she certainly did not need Maria to remind her. She refrained from saying anything though, instead busying herself with texting on her phone.

After almost two minutes of standing in silence, Phil was the first to speak, "What, are you suddenly too cool to even _talk _to me?" He was grinning in amusement as Nikki looked up from her phone, smiling slightly.

"I didn't want to get you in trouble, Pretty Boy," she smirked, adding, "I hear you're on a pretty short leash."

Just because Nikki wasn't going to say anything to upset Maria, it didn't mean she couldn't tease Phil about it, did it? Well, maybe it did, but Nikki wasn't really all that concerned; if the redhead had a problem with her, she should just come out and say it, instead of making snide comments and dropping hints.

"Oh really? Who told you that, Ritchie Rich?" Phil said, slightly insulted that she would think that.

"Doesn't matter who told me," Nikki replied. As a new song started playing, one she liked very much, Nikki smirked and turned to Phil with a challenging look in her eyes, adding, "Why don't you prove me wrong; let's dance."

Phil narrowed his eyes at Nikki, but she just stood there, smirking at him. He glanced to the side, spotting Maria and Stephen; this was going to be trouble. But Phil was never one to back out of a challenge, especially not when the challenger was a pretty girl, so he shrugged, offering his hand to Nikki. Her mildly surprised look gave him a sense of satisfaction.

He led her to the dance floor silently, before pulling her close, as they began to move to the music. Phil ignored the little voice in his head that told him he didn't have to hold her so close; it can shut it. He was simply abiding by the rules of slow dancing, that was all.

Nikki was smiling in amusement, as she said, "Alright, maybe I was wrong; that's pretty brave, but let's see how long you can keep it up." She smirked, adjusting her arm, before adding, "You're not too bad at this; I thought you'd be horrible, the way you were complaining earlier."

Phil chuckled, amused, but he was also a little unsure what to make of this. It seemed almost as if Nikki was purposely trying to piss off Maria, but then again, the other woman wasn't being too friendly as of late. Women were so confusing.

"I don't enjoy it, but a man's got to do what he's got to do," he replied, "I don't see what's so exciting about dancing and things like these. Really, I'm only doing it to support the charity, and to get you people off my case." He smirked, as a look of disbelief graced Nikki's face.

"Are you kidding me? I love dancing; it's just so awesome!" she said, sounding genuine. "I could dance all night long, every night."

"Is that so? Maybe you should do one of those shows," Phil joked, smiling at her.

"Oh yeah, definitely," Nikki said, rolling her eyes. "I don't think I'm _that _good, buddy."

"Yeah, you're totally dragging me behind right now," Phil taunted.

"Oh, honey, you have no idea how many guys want to be you right now," replied Nikki, smirking. "I make you look good just by standing next to you."

Phil laughed, deciding that there was no point arguing with her, "Alright, I'll admit to that, happy?"

Nikki grinned cheekily at him, as the song ended, and took a small step back, "Very happy; now, wasn't that fun?"

"It was absolutely horrible," said Phil jokingly.

"Whatever, loser."

Phil laughed at her, just as another song began playing, a slightly faster one. They danced, and laughed, enjoying themselves, all the while a pair of hazel eyes glaring at them as often as possible. After the song, they began walking away from the dance floor. A few seconds later, Phil spotted Steve and Maria on the other side. Smiling, he waved at them, as they approached him and Nikki.

"Hello, peeps," said Stephen. "Nicole, dear, can I borrow you for a minute?"

Nikki nodded, waving at Maria and Phil, as she followed Steve, "What's up?"

"Oh, one of my friends said he knows you, or something. I thought we'd go say hi," replied Steve. He looked a bit distracted, so Nikki was slightly suspicious. She had a feeling Maria had a thing or two to do with this.

As they walked, Nikki looked ahead, and she spotted a familiar face, she experienced a sinking feeling. This had to be the person Steve was talking about. Unfortunately, the man was not her favourite person in the world.

"Hey Paul," said Steve, shaking Paul's hand. He turned to look at Nikki, "I think you know Nicole, but just in ca-"

Stephen's words were cut off by his friend, Paul, saying, as he approached Nikki, extending his hand, "Ah, say no more. Nicole Valentine, my brother's beautiful ex," he smirked, looking Nikki up and down, "I'll tell you, Kevin was an idiot, letting you go."

Nikki accepted Paul's hand, struggling with restraining herself from simply turning around and walking away. This man, Paul, was the bane of her existence for a long time. He was the twin brother of the only guy she ever dated longer than a month. Kevin was a year older than Nikki, but they dated for most of her Senior year at high school. They started out pretty well, but slowly, Kevin, fuelled by Paul, was more and more demanding, demeaning, and just plain annoying. They ended up breaking up, when Paul successfully convinced Kevin that Nikki was cheating on him although she was doing nothing of the sort.

Needless to say, she was not a fan of either of them. Thankfully though, his brother was not with him. Under normal circumstances, Nikki wouldn't stay there a second longer, but Paul was obviously good friends with Stephen, and the latter didn't know about her history with him. So instead, she smiled, responding politely, "Paul Jamieson, what a small world! What are you doing here?"

"I've been working here for two years now. You?"

"I'm here in the pursuit of an in to OVW," when Paul looked confused, she added, "Ohio Valley Wrestling."

It didn't surprise Nikki in the least, the look of derision on Paul's face. He was almost exactly like her bother in his views of Nikki, except he was worse. Or maybe simply more vocal.

"That's, uhh, that's interesting," he said, smirking slightly. "Didn't think it was your thing, though. So how did you two meet?"

Nikki glanced at Steve, letting him answer this one, "Her trainer is my roommate."

Steve was usually oblivious to little details and stuff, but he was beginning to think that maybe he shouldn't have brought Nikki over. He was just trying to help out his friends, Maria in particular, but he didn't mean to put the blonde in an awkward situation. In his defence, Paul hadn't said how he knew Nikki.

"Of course, of course," said Paul. He sneered slightly, adding, "Leave it to you to play two guys; old habits die hard, huh?" At Nikki's sharp look, he said, laughing the matter off, "I'm just kidding, love."

Nikki joined Steve and Paul in the laughter, before giving Steve a meaningful look, saying, "If you'll excuse me, guys, I'll be at the powder room. It's nice to see you again!" She smiled at Paul, even though all she really wanted to do was punch him out, and made her way to the ladies room. As she was about to enter, though, she spotted Maria going in before her. Nicole bit back a groan, and changed her direction, going instead to the coat room. After she made sure there was no one else inside, she swiftly closed the door, shutting her eyes tightly and leaning against it.

"Hiding from something?"

Nikki literally jumped at the sound of a man's voice, but as she turned to face Punk, her nerves calmed down a little.

"Dammit, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" she exclaimed, before laughing. "What are you doing here?"

Punk gestured at the coat rack at random, "Maria's necklace was bothering her; she asked me to put it away." He glanced at Nikki, trying very hard not to acknowledge how sexy she looked tonight, and asked, "You?"

"Running away from one of Steve's friends," she answered. When Phil sent her a questioning look, Nikki shrugged, "He's an old acquaintance. One that I'm not too fond of, but I didn't want to make things awkward, so...yeah..."

"Old acquaintance?" repeated Punk. He frowned, curious as ever, "Do I know him?"

Nikki frowned, not sure if Phil would know Paul, but he probably did, considering Steve knew him. She opened her mouth to answer, when the familiar tune that was her phone sounded. Nikki pulled out of her purse with difficulty, frowning at the 'Private Name' that was on it, "Hello, this is Nicole."

"Miss Valentine, I'm Jeremiah Daniels, from OVW. May I please have a moment? I know this isn't the best time, but..."

Nikki almost dropped her phone, as Punk watched with a mix of confusion and amusement.

"Uhm, yes, off course! How may I help you?" she answered, eagerly.

"I understand you've been interested in a spot here with us, and, we have a new storyline coming up that we think would fit you perfectly. Would you be interested in that?"

Even as the man spoke, she could tell that he already knew the answer, the little snob; after all, not many people who dreamed of a career in wrestling would turn down a developmental contract. But Nikki didn't care! This was it, this was her moment, her in. She half-laughed, replying, "Yes! I mean, I'd love to help out...I mean. Yeah, yeah, I'm definitely interested."

"Wonderful! I realise this is a bad timing, it's just that the person who was supposed to do this was injured, and I needed to make sure we have someone to fill the spot. How about we set a date to talk about this? Say, this coming Tuesday, noon, at the HQ?"

Nikki was only slightly insulted that she wasn't the first choice, but honestly, she would make them bless the day whoever was supposed to take her place was injured. Grinning widely, Nikki nodded, before realising the man couldn't see her, and saying, "That sounds great! I'll see you then."

"Wonderful! Thanks for your time." And with that, the man hung up.

Nikki stared at her phone for almost a minute after the call was disconnected, and she probably would have stood there for much longer, had it not been for Punk clearing his throat, reminding her that he was there.

Grinning in disbelief, she looked up at Punk, saying, "That was a guy from OVW. They've got a storyline, and they want me to do it!"

Punk had quite some fun, watching Nikki's expression as she talked to whoever was on that phone with her. It went from suspicion, to disbelief, to excitement, to pure joy. It was quite funny. But he absolutely did not see what she told him coming.

His jaw fell open, as he processed what she told him, before he approached her, "Nik, that's awesome! You did it...ooof!" Before he could say much more, Nikki was jumping up and down, and into his arms. He laughed, lifting her off her feet and twirling her around, before putting her back on her feet.

Nikki's wide grin slowly faded away as she found herself face to face with Phil. One moment she was jumping for joy over the news she had just received, the next she was in Phil's arms, and then they were standing in the middle of the room, centimetres away from each other. It was like a replay of earlier that day, only this time, the tension and temptations were multiplied a thousand times. Phil must have sensed it too, because as she looked up to him, his hazel eyes were locked on her blue eyes, with a curious look.

It happened so quickly, but somewhere between gazing at each other's eyes, with desire and uncertainty, their lips met. Phil didn't want to fight it anymore; she was there, she was beautiful, and in that moment, it just made sense. His hands roamed down her back, before pulling her flush against him. Her cool fingers were caressing his face, but everywhere she touched him seemed to burn. He didn't want to let go, but she pulled away slightly, speaking breathlessly, "Oh god, I'm sorry..." Phil shook his head, not thinking too much, and said, "No...it's fine." He pulled her in again, capturing her lips in his, staggering back against the wall. Neither knew how much longer they would have kept it up, but the sound of laughter and footsteps brought them back to earth, and Phil pulled away.

Nikki's eyes were wide, and slightly dazed. What had just happened? Before processing the answer to that question, she let her arms fall back to her sides, and took a step back.

"Uhm...I have to go...tell Steve...about what just happened," realising this could mean several things, Nikki backtracked, "I mean, the OVW stuff, not the...yeah...I'll see you around..."

Phil could do nothing but nod weakly.

* * *

_**A/N:** _

_Yaay, finally lol._

_Sorry for the delay, by the way. I had exams and whar not._

_As always, thanks to all the reviewers, and readers!_

_Please review; they make me smile and feel suuupeeeerr happy -lameiknowiknow-_


	9. Chapter 9: Tension

_**Disclaimer: **_

_No, I don't own any of the WWE wrestlers, divas, associates, CEO's. I wish I did...but, I only own my OC's, and my ideas._

* * *

Nikki was standing outside, in the parking lot. She was waiting for the others, and wondering what was taking them so long, when she spotted Phil making his way toward her. Seeing him brought a smile to her face, even when she tried to stop it. When he was finally within earshot, Nikki asked, "Hey, where are Maria and Steve?"

Punk shrugged, "I don't know about Steve, but I don't think Maria's coming." He smiled at her when she looked at him in confusion. Punk reached out to place his hands on her hips, causing her to lean against the car, saying, "I told her what happened."

Nikki's jaw fell open, as she asked, "Oh my god, how mad was she?"

Punk grimaced, "Pretty upset," he looked Nikki in the eyes, "But it doesn't matter; I want you." As he leaned in to kiss her, a strange sound filled the place, and she turned to see where it was coming from...

**_Rrrrriiiiingggg rrrrrrriiiiiiiiingg riiiiiiinng_**

Nikki pulled the covers over her head, before stuffing it under the pillow to block out the sound. She was just having the best dream ever! Who was calling so early in the morning? When the phone wouldn't stop, Nikki swore; she blindly reached for the phone, answering it after fumbling with the buttons, "Hello?"

"Miss Valentine! Hello, it's Jeremiah, I called last night?"

Nikki forced herself to wake up, sitting up straighter and rubbing her eyes, "Yes, yes, I remember. What's up?"

"Well, I know I said I'd like to see you tomorrow, but I was wondering if you could possibly make it today? In, say, an hour or so?"

Nikki glanced at the clock; it was 9:30 AM. She bit back a sigh, before saying, "Yeah, that's fine. At the HQ?"

"Yes, same place. Excellent, I'll see you then."

Nikki nodded, throwing the phone to the end of the bed once Jeremiah hung up. She fell back on her pillow, trying to properly wake up, while not thinking about what happened last night. It was pretty difficult. So much had happened, she couldn't even begin to make sense of it, and she sort of didn't want to. Sighing, Nikki practically forced herself out of the bed, and made her way to the bathroom.

After a long shower, Nikki finally felt awake. Then, she spent fifteen minutes in her room, trying to find a good shirt to wear. She wanted to make the right impression, but she wasn't quite sure how to go about it. Did she want them to think she's a sophisticated, strong person? Or a daring, not-afraid-to-be-a-little-out-there person? In the end, she decided to just go natural, and grabbed a baby blue v-neck, and dark jeans. She ran a brush through her hair, before deciding to leave it down, grabbed her purse, and made her way outside.

Just as Nikki was about to pull on her coat, Punk's voice came from behind her, "It's a little too early to be heading out, isn't it?"

Nikki turned slowly to face Punk, "I guess so, but, what's a girl to do?" She smiled softly, feeling a bit awkward, considering what happened the night before.

Punk must have been thinking along the same track, as he said, "Just before you go, do you have a second?" Nikki glanced at the clock, before nodding, albeit hesitantly. Punk rubbed the back of his head, not quite sure how to approach this, before saying, "About last night..."

But before he could go on any further, Nikki cut him off, "Don't worry about it, it's no big deal." When Punk looked at her dubiously, she continued, "I mean, it wasn't anything serious. I was excited about the call, you were happy for me, and we...we just got caught up in the moment. It's cool."

Punk frowned as Nikki spoke, feeling sort of disappointed. He didn't know what he had expected, but he was certainly not expecting her to brush off the incident like that. Was she just trying to avoid awkwardness, or was she being serious? Either way, he couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment off.

Still, he nodded, "Yeah...yeah, that's exactly what I was going to say." Just as Nikki was about to leave, though, he asked, "But, there was something else. Did you, by any chance, talk to Maria last night? I mean, after the...you know." When Nikki looked uneasy, he knew what her answer was. Punk pursed his lips, before asking, "You wouldn't have maybe told her that you were going to, and I'm quoting here, 'steal her man', would you?" He frowned, not quite sure how he felt about, well, everything.

Nikki leaned against the door, grimacing slightly, as memories of last night came back...

_*flashback*_

_Nikki walked out of the coat room, feeling slightly dizzy. Did she and Punk just kiss? That was certainly not in her plans tonight. But then again, neither was finally getting the call from OVW. She decided, for the time being, to focus on that, as she began scoping out the area for Stephen. Hopefully he wouldn't be with Paul, but if he was, well, Paul was just going to have to go away. She was done playing nice._

_Nikki finally spotted Stephen, and was about to make her way over to him, when she was stopped by none other than Maria. The redhead was probably the last person Nikki wanted to see right now._

"_Hey, Maria. Uhm, I have to go," she said, attempting to get past the woman, but Maria wasn't having it. She grabbed her upper arm, stopping Nikki from walking away. She raised an eyebrow slightly, asking, "Can I help you?"_

_Maria's eyes were kind of scary, as she said, "Yes, actually, you can. Start by maybe staying away from my boyfriend, alright?"_

_Nikki narrowed her eyes at her, wondering if Maria could have possibly seen what had happened a few minutes ago, but what the redhead said next sort of assured Nikki that she hadn't._

"_Don't think I haven't noticed how you are around him, always giggling and practically throwing yourself at him," Maria said, "I saw the way you were looking at him earlier tonight when you two were dancing. Now, I don't like making scenes, so just keep your distance."_

_Nikki rolled her eyes, pulling herself away from Maria's grasp, "I didn't know being friendly was considered as 'throwing myself at him'. And it's a little difficult to keep my distance when I live in the same place, dear."_

_Maria obviously wasn't backing down, as she added, "That can be dealt with. After all, I'm sure there are other guys who would love to house a girl like you. It's kind of a great deal."_

"_And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" asked Nikki, feeling insulted._

_Maria sneered at her, "Want me to spell it out for you? You. Are. A. Slut. So stay away from my man."_

_Nikki smirked at Maria, laughing derisively, "It's better to be a friendly slut, than a bitchy prude. I'm sure Phil agrees; you should ask him."_

_What Nikki had not expected was Maria's palm connecting with her face, hard. She remained still for a moment, working on controlling her temper, as Maria said, "You're lucky the guys don't know what kind of person you really are. Just stay the hell away."_

_Nikki clenched her fists tightly by her side, working hard on maintaining her calm, "I'm not hiding anything. But if I were you, I'd watch my back, because you have no idea how fast I can leave you boyfriendless if I wanted to." She knew she shouldn't have said that, but if she was to physically restrain herself, she wasn't holding back verbally. Before Nikki turned to walk away, she spat out at Maria, "Bitch."_

_*end flashback*_

Nikki looked back at Punk, although not making any eye contact, and replied, "I might have said a thing or two that could make her think that...yeah."

Punk was slightly confused now. He raised his eyebrow, "I'm just a little confused here...I thought you said the kiss was an accident..."

Nikki sighed, attempting to explain, "I was mad, and she slapped me, and I didn't want to make a scene, so I said things that I didn't necessarily mean." She didn't dare look at Punk straight up, because she was afraid that he could tell she was lying. The thing was, she didn't want to mess things up anymore than she already had. And she was confused about what exactly she wanted, so for now at least, she was going to go with the 'accident' excuse.

"She slapped you?" asked Punk, a little surprised. He sighed; he should have guessed it anyway. Maria had a temper.

This was all his fault, but he had no idea how to fix it. He had thought there was something there, between him and Nikki, but the girl was denying that, and he wasn't about to make a fool out of himself and say otherwise. Plus, he didn't know what to expect with Nikki; it was part of the allure of the idea of being with her. He didn't really know anything about how he would go about a relationship with her, and he didn't really know much about her either. It was all so intriguing, but it was also kind of scary. He knew what to expect with Maria; she was familiar, and he knew how to go about being her boyfriend. Then there was the fact that he really did care about her, and he didn't want to hurt her.

Punk stuck his hands in his pocket, asking, "Did you tell her about what happened? After you got the call?"

Nikki shook her head, saying quickly, "If you don't mind, I'd prefer you didn't." At Punk's look, she elaborated, "It'll just complicate things for you two, and frankly, I don't need the drama. Plus, it wasn't anything important, so...we can just, y'know, pretend it didn't happen?" A part of Nikki was hoping that Phil would say no, that he would insist on talking about it, but at the same time, the thought was kind of scary.

Punk nodded slowly, before closing his eyes, looking tired, "She's so mad. She wanted me to pack up and leave the apartment," He opened his eyes, adding, "Sorry about leaving you and Steve without a ride. How did you get back?"

She shrugged, "We walked, it wasn't too bad."

Nikki was sure that must be a masochist, as the next thing she said was, "If you want to patch things up with Maria, try surprising her. Take her out for brunch at some nice restaurant, or something. Buy her flowers. Just try something new." Nikki smiled softly, adding, "Girls like that stuff; makes her know you're thinking about her."

Punk laughed, nodding, "Alright, thanks for the advice. Sorry for keeping you late."

Nikki shook her head, heading out the door, "It's cool. See you later!"

After she closed the door behind her, Nikki rested her head back against the door, sighing. She had no idea how she was going to keep doing this, and keep her feelings in check. It did not help at all that she was getting mixed signals from Phil, and she was just plain confused about everything.

And that was why she hated relationships.

* * *

As Nikki and Phil spoke, Stephen had woken up, reluctantly so. He could hear them talking, and he wasn't very interested in what they had to say to each other, until he heard Punk saying_ 'the kiss was an accident'_. That certainly managed to wake him up and get his attention. Steve swore under his breath; he knew Phil didn't know what he was doing, but who listens to Steve? No one, that was who.

After he heard the door closing, he figured one of them was gone; it was the perfect time to knock some sense into whoever was left. Steve sincerely hoped Phil was the one making the racket in the kitchen, and sure enough, as he went out there, his dark-haired bestfriend was making himself some coffee.

"So you kissed Nikki?" Steve began, going straight to the point, "Oh yes, that's totally what 'just friends' do. Me and you have quite the make out sessions, no?" His tone might have been sarcastic and slightly joking, but the frown on Steve's voice revealed how concerned he was.

Phil turned around, rolling his eyes, "I know you fantasize about it, but it's not gonna happen." He took a sip out of his cup, asking, "She told you?"

Steve shook his head, "No, actually, _you_ did; I heard you two talking." He took a seat at the kitchen counter, adding more seriously, "Phil, I thought you said you had it under control. It's not like you to cheat, so I'm guessing you have no idea what you're doing."

Phil glared at him for a moment, remaining silent, before deciding that he did actually need to figure this out, and who better to help him than Stephen? He sighed, "It was an accident, and we didn't even talk about it; _she _made sure of that." Phil frowned, wondering what that was about. He wasn't the best at _talking_ things out, but he would have endured it, if Nikki wanted to talk. He did it all the time with Maria.

Steve's frown deepened, "Yeah, I don't think Nicole is as open as she makes herself seem." He had noted that over the few months that she had been living here; whenever things got too personal, she often subtly changed the subject. He ran his fingers through his hair, glancing at Phil, "Let's worry about that later; what about you? Do you like her?"

Phil took his time, drinking his coffee and thinking, before he spoke, carefully wording his answer, "I enjoy spending time with her, perhaps a little bit more than I do other female friends...but I don't know if that's just because she's a _really _good friend, or if there's more to it." He looked frustrated, as he added, "And she's not helping much. I mean, she and Maria got in a fight, then all she told me was that it was 'nothing serious'"

Steve couldn't help but smirk at his friend at this point, saying, "Sounds like someone I know." He was obviously referring to Phil, but at the other guy's glare, he added, "Okay, okay. Have you considered the fact that maybe she's just confused? I mean, you are still dating Maria. How is she supposed to know you're into her?"

"Who said I was?" retorted Phil, getting annoyed.

"There, see. That right there; you're going back and forth, you don't know what you want! How is anyone _else_ supposed to, man?" stated Steve. He shook his head, "You need to figure that out, before you end up hurting two wonderful girls just because you're scared."

Phil looked at his friend with surprise. Since when was Stephen the relationship expert, the sensitive guy? However, the guy did have a point. Phil pushed his hair back, "It would be a hell of a lot easier if I knew what's on Nikki's mind."

Don't get him wrong, Phil wasn't a shallow guy, but he still didn't want to break up with a perfectly lovely girl and find out that the other perfectly lovely girl was not interested in him. It would do more harm than good. The way Phil saw it, he would end up wrecking things all around; Maria would be hurt, his friendship with Nikki would be pretty rattled, if not destroyed, and Steve would sit around, grinning smugly because he was right.

He looked up at Steve at that point, another thought occurring to him, "She didn't say anything to you, did she? You guys talk all the time, she must have mentioned something!"

At this point, Steve began to feel uneasy. He had two choices: he could tell Phil the truth, and betray Nicole's trust in him, or he could pretend he knew nothing, and possibly end up letting Phil wreck everything. Either way, it was going to end badly, and Steve was sort of scared of Nicole.

"No, she hasn't really said anything," he lied. As Phil rolled his eyes, cursing under his breath, he added, "Sorry bud. Where are you going?"

Phil had finished his coffee, and was heading to the door, "I'm going to see my girlfriend."

Steve couldn't help it, he really couldn't, as he asked, with an amused grin, "Which one?"

Phil sent him a glare, "_That_ is not funny." Without further ado, he left, slamming the door behind him.

Stephen shook his head; why did he have to be the only semi-normal person in this place? In the meantime, however, he had other things to attend to. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, dialing a number. Once the person on the other end of the line answered, Steve spoke, "Hey, it's Stephen Nichols. I was wondering if that house you told me about before is still available? I'd like to see it."

* * *

Maria and Punk were walking around the city, having just left some strange restaurant after lunch. He glanced at his girlfriend, relieved to see that Nikki's advice sort of worked; Maria looked pretty content. He could tell that she was still slightly annoyed, but at least she wasn't going on and on about how he needed to come stay with her. As they walked, Maria's cell went off.

"Hello?"

Phil leaned against a brick wall, waiting for her, not really listening to what she was saying, until she began describing where they were to whoever was on the phone with her. Once she was done, he asked, "Who was that?"

Maria looked mildly puzzled, but not too concerned, "Steve. He said he wants to show us something. He'll be here in a few."

Phil frowned, "What do you think he's up to?"

Maria shrugged, "I don't know, but it's Steve. He probably got bored, and wants company." They both laughed lightly, waiting.

Finally, Steve's silver Mercedes appeared, and stopped in front of them. Maria grinned, saying as she hurriedly walked towards the car, "I call shotgun!"

But as she glanced inside, she spotted Nikki sitting at the back, apparently busy with her phone. Maria backed out, "Actually, why don't you take the passenger seat, Phil?"

Phil frowned, but then he shrugged; it was no big deal. After they got in the car, it made a little more sense. He suppressed a sigh, but he did give Maria a look that said 'Really?', to which she defiantly shrugged. He rolled his eyes, turning to address Steve, "What are you up to?"

"Hello Phillip, yes, I had a lovely day too, thanks for asking," replied Steve sarcastically. "We're going to see a friend of mine. Nicole, you're going to go cross-eyed, stop playing on your phone."

The blonde looked up, grinning, "Well, tell me where we're going and I'll have something else to think about."

Stephen chuckled, "Why don't you tell us how the OVW thing went?"

At this, Maria piped in, sounding surprised, "You got in?"

Nikki sent the redhead a cold look, before replying casually, "Yep. I debut on January the 17th, as some Mike guy's valet."

Phil joined in, asking, "Mike Mizanin?" He snorted, "Luck _is_ for losers, but you might need it with that guy's ego."

Nikki shrugged, "I can handle it. Plus, I get to play a devious airhead who cheats on him; it's gonna be fun."

Maria rolled her eyes, unable to resist commenting, "Oh, so they're going with a more realistic portrayal? That's new."

Nikki flashed Maria a glare, saying sarcastically, "Ha ha. You're just so damn witty and funny, aren't you?"

Phil and Steve shared a look, before deciding to stay out of this, for the time being at least.

Maria smirked, unfazed by Nikki's sarcasm, and added, "You might want to get used to it; you'll be seeing a lot of me for a while." When the other girl glanced at her, puzzled, Maria added, "Oh, the guys didn't tell you? I've been transferred to OVW for the next three to four months, possibly longer."

Nikki managed to maintain a calm exterior, but inside she really just wanted to punch something in. She shrugged, "Oh, how wonderful!"

The four of them lapsed into silence, as Steve drove. After ten minutes of driving, Maria asked, impatiently, "Are we there yet?"

Steve responded calmly, "Almost. Patience, Miss Kanellis, patience."

Maria rolled her eyes, "It's a little difficult; the backseat reeks of slut."

Nikki's jaw tightened, as she glared at Maria. Phil turned around, and said, "Maria, come on, give it a break, please."

"Okay, I get it; you don't like me, you think I'm a slut," replied Nikki, losing patience quickly, "I _get_ it, so just stop already."

"Stop trying to steal my boyfriend," retorted Maria fiercly, not showing any sign of backing down any time soon.

Just as both Phil and Nikki were about to speak, Stephen announced loudly, "Oh look, we're here!"

Fortunately, that did manage to distract the three of them, just before either Nikki or Maria ripped off the other girl's head. Before the car fully came to a stop, Nikki opened her door, waiting a few seconds before she got out, slamming the door behind her angrily. She marched to the front door of the bungalow they stopped at, and rang the bell.

Stephen followed her, placing a hand on the small of her back; she completely ignored him. Punk and Maria followed silently. No one said a thing, until a middle-aged man opened the door.

"Stephen Nichols! You're early; Joseph would be proud," said the man.

Steve greeted him with a hug, replying, "Tell him that next time you see him, will you? My father seems to think I'm a lazy slob." He laughed, as the man let them in. Steve gestured at his friends, saying, "Guys, this is Lance Kingston; he's a friend of my father. Lance, this Phillip Brooks, Maria Kanellis, and Nicole Valentine."

Lance shook hands with each of them, "Nice to meet you. Alright, I'm sure you'll find the place is in pretty excellent shape, my brother-in-law and his family are the only people who lived here, and they were here for less than a year."

Nikki frowned, interrupting Lance, "Wait, what are you talking about?" She turned to face Steve, with an accusing expression on her face, asking, "Why are we here?"

Steve laughed nervously, and took a few steps back, explaining, "Well, you see, after you told me about the OVW stuff, and I knew Maria was staying for a while, I figured we probably need a bigger place to live." By that time, he was standing behind Lance, "I mean, it's not expensive at all. Between the four of us, it would actually be quite affordable, plus, the view is simply excellent!"

Lance began chuckling, as he stepped away from Steve, "He didn't tell you? That sound more like him." He glanced at Steve, then at the three others, "How about I leave you four to talk? I'll be in the kitchen, just call me when you're ready to see the rest of the house."

Once Lance left, Stephen cleared his throat, "Surprise? Come on, guys, it's a good idea!"

Maria's arms were crossed, as she said, "Really? The four of us, living together?" She directed her glare to Nikki this time, "I'd be down with it, if _she_ wasn't around."

"Believe me, I don't want to be anywhere near you either," replied Nikki. "I'm sorry Steve, but that's a no from me."

Phil, who was looking around the living room, approached the rest of them, saying, much to Steve's obvious relief, "I actually don't think it's such a bad idea. The place is pretty big, and it looks nice. How many rooms?"

"Three rooms, one bathroom upstairs, the other right around the corner, a well-equipped kitchen, not to mention a lovely backyard, and, as you saw, a pretty nice patio," Steve rattled off the information like it was sitting at the tip of his tongue. He glanced at the girls, "Come on, ladies. It's a good deal! Maria, you and Punkster will have your own room, and Nikki, you'll have yours too without neatfreak over here telling you how to organize it."

Maria looked slightly mollified. She liked the idea of her and Phil's room alone, plus, she could keep a better watch on Nikki too. Still, she didn't say anything, even when Phil squeezed her hand, looking at her questioningly.

"Let's see the rest of the house," said Nikki shortly.

Steve nodded, and practically skipped his way to the kitchen, returning with Lance. They proceeded then to see the rest of the house for the next twenty minutes. After that, Lance was speaking to Maria and Steve about the rooms, while Nikki absently made her way to the backyard.

She stood there silently, observing the place, without really thinking about anything. At the sound of footsteps, she glanced over her shoulders, and spotted Punk making his way toward her. She kind of didn't want him to come, at least not right this moment, but, you don't always get what you want.

Punk came to stand next to her, "Hey."

She glanced at him briefly, replying, "Hi."

When she didn't say anything else, Punk gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and tried to get her to look at him, "I'm sorry about earlier. Maria's just getting a little possessive."

Nikki gave him a cold, unfamiliar look that was kind of new to Punk, and said, "Whatever, she has the right, I suppose." With that, she pulled her shoulder away from him, and went back into the house.

Punk stared after her for a moment, slightly taken aback by her attitude. She wasn't usually cold and indifferent like that; obviously Maria had pushed her too much. Or was it him? She did kind of act like she blamed him. But he really wasn't trying to cause any problems between her and Maria. This was slowly turning into what Stephen had predicted; God, Punk hated when Steve was right.

"Punkster, come on in, will ya?" yelled Stephen, poking his head out the kitchen window.

Punk entered to find Maria and Lance looking at some papers, while Steve looked like he was about to bounce off the walls, and Nikki sat on top of the kitchen counter, watching the scene with a bored expression on her face.

Lance looked up at Punk, smiling, "Alright, all four of you are here. So, Phillip, your lady friends have both agreed, and I think we all know Stephen's answer. What's your say?"

Punk looked at each of his friends, before nodding, "Awesome. I'm in. When do we get to move in?"

At that, Steve literally jumped in excitement, and the rest of them laughed. Lance gave them each lease papers, and invited them for dinner, as a little form of celebration.

By the time they left, the mood was certainly a lot lighter than when they came. However, as Steve stopped to drop off Maria and Punk at her hotel, the redhead glanced at Nikki defiantly, to which the other girl simply rolled her eyes.

Steve saw the small interaction, and as he drove back home, he began to first have doubts about this whole living all together thing. Will it make one of these ladies a murderer? Worse, will it make him or Punk a victim of a murder?

Women were crazy.

* * *

_**A/N:** _

_So, now Nikki and Maria aren't getting along wonderfully well, lol. Tell me what you think of the tension between them. I'm trying really hard to not make either girl the 'bad' one, but I might not be doing so well. Oh well._

_As always, thanks to all the reviewers, and readers, past and new!_

_**HeldAtRansom** && **EmilieCW-DXfan0119**: thanks for reviewing! I'm so glad you guys are liking it._

_Please review; they make me smile and feel suuupeeeerr happy -lameiknowiknow-_


	10. Chapter 10: Calm before the storm

_**Disclaimer: **_

_No, I don't own any of the WWE wrestlers, divas, associates, CEO's, anyone else. I wish I did...but, I only own my OC's, and my ideas._

* * *

It was two weeks since the gang moved from Steve's old apartment to the new house, and things were...interesting. At the moment, Stephen was watching a furious Maria drinking bottle of water after bottle of water, and every other cold drink she could get her hands on. Punk had gone to get her something to eat, while Nikki was sitting at the other end of the table, watching Maria with a huge grin on her face. Steve shook his head at the blonde, "You are a psychopath."

All Nikki did was shrug, before she got up and left. This was the umpteenth time something like this had happened since they moved in here. It all began two days after they moved, when Maria took the liberty of filling Nikki's shampoo bottle with glue. The blonde looked like an electrified zombie, with her hair sticking up all over the place, as she marched into Maria' and Punk's room, not paying regards to the fact that they were in a hot make out session, and dumped an entire bucket of water over the redhead's hair, and consequently Punk's, silently.

The next week, Maria retaliated by taking Nikki's red car on a ride all night long, until it was out of gas, and brought it back like nothing happened. Steve had the burden of taking Nikki to OVW's training facility the next morning.

Not one to be one-up-ed, Nikki went ahead and took the liberty of stealing Maria's iPod and filling it with Britney Spears' music, all of which, according to Punk, Maria despised. This went on almost every day since the shampoo incident, until tonight, when Nikki made sure she got Maria the extra spicy dish at the Indian cuisine place she got dinner from.

Steve and Punk had lost faith in their ability to do anything other than just watch, and prevent them from killing each other whenever things escalated. It was kind of crazy, and Stephen was worried that his friend might be losing his mind between trying to keep his girlfriend happy, and maintain his friendship with Nikki. Steve suspected that along with that was the internal pressure Punk was exerting on himself by trying to figure out what exactly to do about this whole love triangle that had developed. If it wasn't all so serious, Steve would have gladly sat back and had a good laugh; he kind of did anyway, but he was still worried for his friends.

"I'm going to kill her," said Maria, between gasping for breath. "How could she do that to me?"

Steve looked amused, "Well, you did turn all her white clothes orange two days ago. You knew she hates orange."

Maria sent him a glare, "Whatever. That wasn't bad enough to kill her; I could have died tonight! What if I was allergic?"

Steve couldn't help chuckling, just as Punk walked in, carrying a bag of take-out. He placed it in front of Maria, before rubbing her shoulders, "Your favourite Chinese. How're you feeling now?"

Maria's face brightened as she took a look at the food, "I survived, but she might not once I figure out what to do."

Punk sighed, nodding, before going to sit next to her, "Take it easy, alright? You have a bright future, you don't want to ruin it by getting sentenced for life, now, do you?" He grinned a little bit, trying to lighten up Maria's mood, and it seemed to be working.

However, he spoke too soon, because the next moment, Nikki walked by, saying with a wide smirk, "I wouldn't eat that if I were you; interviewers don't get much of a chance to burn off the extra calories, I hear." Winking at Maria, Nikki turned around and grabbed her coat.

"Where are you going?" asked Punk, curious.

"Out. With people," replied Nikki mysteriously. "Bye!"

"I'm not fat!" exclaimed Maria, nevertheless, looking down at her own body to check.

Punk sighed, squeezing her hand, "Of course not. You look perfect. You know Nik, she's just trying to get on your nerves."

Maria felt a little bit better, but that didn't mean she wasn't planning revenge as she ate. What was even more annoying was that Nikki seemed to be enjoying the back and forth battle. Maria would never ever admit it out loud –she was having trouble just _thinking _it- but it was sort of fun. That didn't mean she didn't hate Nicole; oh, no, she hated her very much.

The next morning, Maria awoke to find her boyfriend already out of the bed. Once she showered and changed, she went downstairs and walked in on a scene she wasn't too pleased with. Phil was standing by the door, holding his car keys high over his head, while Nicole tried to grab it from him; it wasn't exactly the situation that bothered Maria. No, it was the look on Phil's face; he looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself, as he teased Nicole.

"Morning," said Maria, making her presence known. Nicole and Punk turned around, greeting her, before Nikki quickly snatched the keys as Punk made to walk over to Maria.

"I'll see you two out there," she said, blowing kisses.

Punk shook his head, before going over to kiss Maria. He waited for her a she made herself some coffee, all the while Nikki was playing loud music in Punk's car and honking at them. Ever since they moved they took turns driving either Nikki's car or Punk's. Today it was supposed to be her boyfriend's turn to drive, but apparently the blonde annoyance had her own agenda.

"What's with her?" asked Maria, glaring at the general direction of the door.

"She gets to meet her 'boyfriend' today," replied Punk. When Maria frowned at him, unsure what he meant, he added, "Mike Mizanin, the guy she'll be in a storyline with."

Maria nodded, before snapping the lid on her coffee, and grabbing her gym bag. Punk followed after her. When they finally appeared outside, Nikki exclaimed, "Finally! What took you guys so long? Get in, I'm driving."

Punk frowned, and said, "I don't think so; my car, I drive." He extended his hand for the keys, but Nikki simply shook her head. Realising that there was no way he could win this unless he physically pulled Nikki out of the car, Punk sighed, and got in the backseat with Maria. He regretted letting Nikki drive almost as soon as she pulled out of the driveway. She was definitely a reckless driver; it was a miracle she was still alive to this day.

As soon as they reached their destination, Nikki jumped out of the car, and waited impatiently for Punk to do the same. When he did, she threw the keys at him, and ran inside before they could say a word.

Once inside, Nikki knocked on the door to Jeremiah Daniels' office, tapping her foot impatiently. She could hear him speaking to someone, but she wasn't sure whether it was on the phone or someone actually with him, so she didn't want to interrupt. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the door opened.

"Morning gentlemen!" she greeted them cheerfully.

Jeremiah was standing by her side, while another guy whom she could only assume was her storyline partner was sitting on a chair opposite Jeremiah's desk. He looked pretty tough, with piercing blue eyes, and exuding confidence. It practically radiated off of him; he looked like a guy who knew what he wanted, how to get it, and add to that, he looked like someone who thought he was pretty darn fantastic.

"Morning, Nicole," Jeremiah replied. He gestured to the man, "Allow me to introduce you to Mike Mizanin. Mike, this is Nicole, the girl I told you about."

Just as Nikki was studying Mike, he was taking his time studying her as well. She looked good, he had to admit that, if only to himself; definitely attractive enough to be his 'girlfriend'. But she also looked too cheerful. Then again, he remembered that the storyline sort of required that anyway.

He stood up, approaching her, and said, "Not too bad. I was expecting a hag. I think she'll do, as long as she doesn't speak too much, and works out a little more...actually, a _lot_ more."

Nikki raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, see, right there, sweetheart," said Mike. "That was not necessary; I didn't need to hear that. Your voice is annoying, your posture is bad, and you obviously don't take good care of yourself, that dress makes you look like you have chicken legs, those shoes are out-dated, and you have split ends."

Nikki glanced at Jeremiah, a little bit stunned, before regaining her composure, and turning her attention to Mike again, "Well, aren't you just awesome. You might want to get used to the voice and everything else, 'cause I'm no silent little trophy girlfriend, alright, darling?"

Mike did not look impressed at first, before sharing a look with Jeremiah. When he turned to face Nikki again, he was smirking in satisfaction, "Not bad; you passed your first test."

Nikki was quite confused by now; she turned to ask Jeremiah, "What is he talking about?"

Jeremiah, who was enjoying the interaction, chuckled, before explaining, "Mike likes to test his limits, see how people handle his attitude. You didn't throw a tantrum, so, I think that's an A+ in his books, right, Mike?"

"No, it's actually a C-, not even, maybe a D," replied Mike. When Nikki looked at him incredulously, he shrugged.

Jeremiah laughed, before ushering the two of them out, "Alright, you two go talk about your storyline, and make sure you're ready for your debut next week. Hey, go in the ring for a bit, if you feel like you need it. Bye bye." With that, he shut the door, leaving Nikki staring after him, not quite sure what just happened.

"Alright, babe, let's go, I need to let you in on how to be my girlfriend," Mike shrugged his arm around Nikki's shoulder, saying with a confident grin, "We're going to have an awesome time."

* * *

It was past 7 PM, and Punk was done for the day. Actually, all three of them were supposed to be done by now, yet here was, sitting on top of the back of his car, waiting for Maria and Nikki. Almost as if on cue, he heard Nikki's voice from somewhere behind him. He turned around to look, only to see the blonde girl laughing at something some guy said. He didn't look too impressed, but Nikki obviously thought it was funny; Punk raised his eyebrows when her next act was to slap the guy's butt as he walked away. He could only assume that the guy was Mike Mizanin, who didn't look too happy about the way Nikki was treating him, and to be frank, neither was Punk.

Still, he said nothing as she approached him, greeting loudly, "Hey Pretty Boy! What's up?" She jumped up to sit next to him.

"Not much, waiting for you slow pokes to get here," he replied. Punk nodded towards Mizanin's retreating figure, adding, "I'm guessing that's Mike?"

"Yep, that's him; disappointing, no?" said Nikki. When Punk didn't appear to understand, she added, "I was expecting some massive, muscular stud. He's pretty fit, and strong, I'll admit that, but still. I was thinking more along the lines of, I don't know, Batista."

Punk laughed, looking at her with amusement, "You want to be Batista's girlfriend? Didn't think he was your type."

Nikki shrugged, "He's not, which is why it would be fun to date a Batista-like figure on-screen, so I don't miss out."

Punk had to wonder how her mind worked, when she said things like that. Miss out? Was she planning to date every kind of guy out there? He wasn't sure he liked that idea; in his opinion, there was only one type of guy that fit her, but that was beside the point. He shook his head, laughing, "You're insane. So, do you think you're going to like it, the whole storyline stuff?"

Nikki mused on the idea; at first she wasn't sure she could pull off the acting part, but after a few sessions with the trainers and Punk, she realised that it wasn't too difficult. It was actually fun. She nodded slowly, "It's not bad; I think I'll have fun, but I really, really, really want to try a heel. Jeremiah said they'll present me as a tweener, and they'll tailor my character according to the crowd's reaction." She shrugged, "Could be fun!"

"What's that?" came Maria's voice.

Nikki replied, "Playing a heel." The redhead nodded, but didn't say anything else, as Punk and Nikki got off the top of the car.

By the end of the day, Maria felt sore. She had to go at it with her trainers today for over four hours, and she was exhausted. Then she had to do interviews, and be smacked over the head 'accidently' as per storyline, not to mention other outside the ring training crap. It was very tiring. All she wanted to do was take a long, warm bath, and sleep.

Once they got home, they found Steve wearing his glasses, with papers all over the dining table. He had been working on a new script for a while now, but he absolutely refused to let any of them even so much as look at it. When he heard the three of them walk in, he jumped to his feet, saying, "Whoa, stay where you are! Let me just...pick these up." He hurriedly gathered his papers into a neat pile, before facing them again, with a more relaxed smile. "Alright, come on in."

"I call dibs on being the lead of that movie," said Nikki, looking pretty amused by Stephen's protectiveness over his script.

"I don't think you'd like that; she's a librarian, and not the cool, she's-really-a-secret-spy-undercover type," replied Steve, smirking, as he took his work and headed to his room.

Nikki grimaced, "Yeah, no, I'll pass! Maria can do it, the character fits her."

Maria rolled her eyes, but she was too tired to say much, "You're so funny. I think I'll turn in early. You coming?"

Punk glanced at the clock, considering it, before saying, "I think I'll watch some TV; I'll be in soon, though."

Maria was honestly too tired to argue, so she nodded, "Alright; keep your hand off my guy, bitch."

Nikki laughed, replying, "Will do; thanks for the reminder. And the one before, and the one before that one too."

Punk shook his head, but he was slightly relieved to see that the two girls were at least adding more of a joking feeling to the banter. He could still sense the tension underlying, but at least they weren't full out fighting like they did the first week they moved in. Maybe things were finally calming down.

Too bad he didn't know that it was only the calm before the storm.

* * *

_**A/N: **_

_things are cooling down a bit, but don't put down your protective shields just yet ;)_

_Shout out to the reviewers:_

_**HeldAtRansom**: Haha, Nikki appreciates that :P Maria doesn't...but...oh well, she'll have to deal ;)_

_**SwantonBaby**: I do plan on doing a bit of Miz/Nikki, but I don't think it'll be the way you expect ;) Wait and see lol!_

_As always, thanks to all the reviewers, and readers, past and new! Please review; I really like getting feedback lol. Thanks :)_


	11. Chapter 11: Storyline, or is it?

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the universe that might come up in the story. They belong to Vince and themselves. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

_**A/N: **_

_Please read and review! Comment, criticism, everything is welcome (except flaming lol). I apologize for the delay; there was something wrong with the uploud feature, as I'm sure some of you noticed. It was so frustrating! But, big thanks to Slashguy for figuring out a way around it, even though he probably won't see this lol._

* * *

It was a number of weeks since Nikki and Miz, as Mike preferred to call himself, debuted on TV, and tonight was one of the most fun shows ever, in Nikki's opinion. As per storyline, Nikki and the Miz are supposed to be trying to one-up each other, and see who gets jealous first, after the guys, on screen, claimed that having Nikki at ringside was the reason he was on a losing streak the last few matches.

Nikki got off the car, and was out of sight before Punk had fully exited the car. Maria didn't have a match or an appearance scheduled for tonight, so she opted to stay home and take a break for a change. Punk shook his head at Nikki, as he made his way inside. He had a pretty important match tonight, against the OVW Champion, so he was pretty excited as well.

Meanwhile, show-time couldn't come fast enough for Nikki, and Mike was enjoying watching her whine and complain, but finally, they were given the signal to start.

They were in the locker room, or at least, Mike was there, when Nikki opened the door and entered, sneering at Mike, "Look what we have here; it's the Miz! Oh my god, I think I'm going to faint..." she feigned beginning to faint, before standing up straight and saying, "No, I don't think so."

Mike rolled his eyes, "Are you done? Good. Now, let's get one thing straight, cupcake. I know you've been hearing things in the locker room, people telling you that the Miz is head over heels over you, making you think you're all that," he stood up, walking over to tower over Nikki, "But here's the truth; it's all talk. You're not that important, you're not _at all_ important actually. You're just lucky you're pretty...barely." He snorted, toying with a lock of her hair, "So don't go thinking you can bat your pretty little eyelashes, and I'll go weak in the knees, or try to make me jealous or whatever might be going on in that little head of yours. You can't throw me off my game."

Nikki looked pretty amused, before she began running her index finger up and down Mike's chest, "Really? 'cause see I didn't bring all that up, so you must have been thinking about it, sweetheart." Her smirk grew wider, as she stepped even closer to Mike, and continued, "I think you are under my spell. I bet I can make you jealous faster than you can make me."

Mike raised his eyebrow, studying Nikki carefully, before saying, "Alright, I'll take you on that bet. What's your plan_, Nikki?_" He said the last bit mockingly, as if even the idea of her was ridiculous.

Nikki smirked, taking a step back, and said, "How about this. The first person to walk through that door, I'm going to kiss, and everyone will get to see you squirm and stutter, Miz. What do you say?"

Mike snorted, nodding, "Fine by me, but it's not gonna work. Oh, imagine if one of the janitorial squad people walk in. That, cupcake, will be priceless."

Nikki shrugged, retorting, "I bet even _they're_ better kissers than you."

That managed to wipe the smirk off of Mike's face, if only momentarily, "Keep on telling yourself that."

He glanced at the clock subtly, and managed to stop himself from frowning; they were on camera after all. Still, he was a little confused about what was taking Kenny Dykstra so long, as he was supposed to be the guy to walk in. He could see that Nikki was wondering the same thing, just from the slight narrowing of her eyes.

Meanwhile, outside, Dykstra was being taken care of, as his arm was accidently injured in a match a few minutes ago. Jeremiah, the head of the creative team, was beginning to freak out, when he spotted a potential replacement for Kenny.

"Punk! Come here," demanded Jeremiah. Punk, who had just finished a match, and was about to go shower, change, and wait for Nikki to finish, stopped, and frowned, but he did go to see what Jeremiah wanted. The other guy grasped his forearm, speaking as if the world was about to end, "I need you to go in there and...well, just go along with the others, alright? Come on, it's getting awkward."

Punk looked pretty confused, but he shrugged, "Alright, don't give yourself a heart attack, Daniels. This door?" When the man nodded, Punk shrugged, and pushed the door open.

Inside, Nikki and Mike almost sighed in relief, but, for one of them, that feeling was short-lived. Nikki almost visibly paled when she saw that the person walking in was most definitely not Kenny. She frowned slightly, and hesitated about going through with the plot.

Mike was a little concerned when Nikki didn't just go ahead and follow the storyline, so he said, "What's the matter, Nikki? Getting cold feet?"

Nikki glanced at Mike, snorting, but behind him, the camera crew were gesturing for her to hurry up. Knowing that she had a choice between basically her job, or her life, Nikki chose her job. She slowly approached a puzzled looking Punk, until she was standing just in front of him. Nikki then reached out and pulled him by the neck, closing the gap between them, and pressing her lips against his.

As per storyline, it was supposed to be quick, slightly provocative kiss. However, storylines don't always go as planned. When Nikki approached him, Punk wasn't sure what was going on, but then, as she came closer, he remembered her telling them about the storyline she was in. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, but he didn't really have much time to think. As her lips touched his, Punk instinctively found himself pulling her body against his. If he thought the last time he kissed her was something, it was nothing compared to this. He hadn't had the warning signs this time; he'd been almost convinced that there was nothing going on between them up till this point, but now, all his resolve to stay away was dissolving.

Nikki knew this was going to be trouble the moment Punk walked in through the door, but this was her job, she wasn't going to blow it just because she didn't want the drama. However, as soon as she and Punk connected, thoughts of her job, and everything else escaped her mind, as she was pressed against his bare chest. It wasn't until she heard the subtle cough from one of the camera crew, did she pull away.

If the relief Mike had felt when CM Punk walked in was great, it was nothing to the surprise that came with watching the man and Nikki kiss. It was so intense, so steamy, that Mike didn't even have to do too much acting to look like the jealous, shocked boyfriend of Nikki, as the camera rolled over to him. Any guy would be jealous after watching that.

Attempting to make sure everything sticks to the script as much as possible, Nikki smirked, looking from Mike, to Punk, and said, "How about that, Miz?" She snorted, glancing at Punk, and exited, saying, "You're welcome, Punk."

She left the room, only to find Jeremiah waiting on the other side, watching excitedly. He grabbed her by the shoulders, hugging her, before pulling her away and saying, "Nikki Valentine, you are full of surprises, that was...it was hot! It looked so real! Well done, well done!"

Nikki smiled weakly at him, excusing herself to go change. She almost felt the urge to tell Jeremiah that there was a reason it 'looked so real', but opted not to. She was going to die; there was no doubt in her mind that Steve and Maria were probably watching. All of a sudden, she wasn't so sure she wanted to go home.

After she put on her jeans, and a t-shirt, Nikki left the building to reluctantly wait outside by Punk's car. If it was up to her, she would walk, but it was a pretty long way down, and she didn't fancy the idea of getting blisters, so riding with him, as awkward and uncomfortable as it was going to be, was the only option. Fortunately for her, when Punk finally appeared, he wasn't alone; Mike was walking alongside him.

Punk glanced at Nikki, and tried to keep casual, as he told her, "Mizanin's car won't start; you don't mind if we drop him off on our way, do you?"

Nikki shook her head, smirking at Mike, "Nah, it's cool. Get in, Mister Miz."

Mike took the passenger seat, when Nikki elected to sit at the back. He wasn't one to really care what anyone else was doing, but it was a little too obvious that something was going on here. He glanced at Punk, to Nikki, and back again to Punk, before asking, "So you two live together?" He glanced at Nikki's reflection in the mirror, adding, "I didn't know you were seeing someone."

"I'm not. Punk and I live with two other friends of ours," she replied, looking distracted. "We're just friends."

"Ah, I see," said Mike, smirking slightly. He glanced at Punk briefly, adding, "I wish I had friends like that." He laughed when Nikki shot him a glare, but said nothing, and soon enough, Punk stopped at the address Mike gave him. As he left, Mike thanked Punk, and bid Nikki goodnight, laughing to himself silently.

Meanwhile, at the bungalow, Stephen was sitting on an armchair in the living room, in fear for his life. Maria had not said a word since '_It_' happened, and it sort of terrified Steve. He had gone and ordered some pizza, received the pizza, and she still hadn't spoken a single word. It meant bad things were going to happen. Bad, terrible things. He sort of didn't want Nicole and Punk to come home, but they did.

Stephen glanced at the door, as Punk walked in first, looking pretty tired, but by now that had almost become routine. He glanced at Stephen, who mouthed to him silently 'She's furious! Don't make any sudden movements!'. Punk looked around until he finally spotted Maria, sitting at the kitchen, with a plate of untouched pizza in her hands.

"Hey. You're early. The show just ended," said Maria calmly. Phil was no idiot, though, he could tell that there was a storm brewing under.

"We left after we finished our segments," replied Punk, going over to the pizza boxes, with a plate on his hand.

As he turned around, he saw that Nikki had come back inside. She had insisted that the flowers on the driveway needed watering, but even a five years old could tell she just didn't want to face Maria and Steve.

"Hey guys," Nikki said, as she took off her coat.

Maria waited until Nikki was about to sit on the arm chair opposite Steve before she approached her, with venom-filled eyes. The look on Nikki's face told her that the girl was expecting this, and ready for it. That didn't deter Maria, "You know, just when I thought I'd give you the benefit of the doubt, you pull the rug right from under my feet. No, I'm going back to my initial impression of you, whore." With that, she raised her hand, delivering a slap to the blonde's face, causing her to stagger backwards.

Nikki said nothing, instead nodding, once she regained feeling of her face. She sort of understood where Maria was coming from, even if she didn't think this was entirely her fault. She hadn't asked for Kenny to break his arm, or for Jeremiah to pick Phil, but still, she did have the option of walking away, and Nikki didn't. Then again, so did Phil. She really couldn't blame Maria for being angry.

Once the redhead had walked away, Nikki nursed her cheek, before she took her seat, and watched TV silently, her mind not really into it. Phil sat on one end of the dining table, Maria at the other, while Steve was right across from Nikki. Nobody said anything; they barely breathed.

After a while, Nikki and Steve began talking aimlessly about stupid stuff, before they got in a fight over who gets the last slice of pizza. Nikki was victorious. She settled back into her chair, grinning slightly, as Stephen shook his head, saying, "You really like pizza, don't you?"

Nikki shrugged, "I _am_ Italian; I have to love pizza and pasta, it's in my blood."

Steve laughed, before asking, "You're Italian? I didn't know that."

"Well, I'm half; my dad is Italian, though. Valentine, Valentino," Nikki rolled her eyes; the name did not sound good. Nicole Valentino. She was glad her grandfather changed it.

"Cool," replied Steve. "How come you never talk about them? Your family, I mean?"

Nikki shrugged, about to tell him that the subject never came up, but before she could say anything, Maria cut her off, "Come on, Steve, anyone can guess that. I mean, I've only known her for a few months and I can't stand her. Imagine how her family feels; they're probably thanking God to be rid of the selfish, worthless, stupid whore she is. Probably don't even spare her a second thought, and can you blame them? "

The silence that fell upon the room once more was deadly. There was a loud, obscene song playing on TV, disturbing the silence, so Stephen subtly turned it off. Nikki looked like she had just received a blow to the stomach. After a minute of silence, she stood up, placing her plate, with the untouched last slice of pizza, on the coffee table, saying, "I'm not so hungry anymore. Excuse me." With that, she quickly left the room, and a few seconds later, they heard the front door slamming shut. Steve was a little worried she would drive off and get herself hurt, but they didn't hear the sound of any of the cars leaving.

He glanced at Maria, noting that she looked sort of surprised by Nikki's reaction. Then again, he kind of was too; he knew Maria was kind of crossing the line, but he hadn't expected Nikki to take it so hard.

"That was uncalled for."

Stephen turned to look at Phil as he spoke, noting the look of mixed anger and concern- for whom, though, he wasn't sure.

"Uncalled for?" retorted Maria. "Oh yes, after she had a steamy make out session with you, on TV, when I call her out for it, it's 'uncalled for'. Seriously!"

Phil narrowed his eyes, "I understand that what she did –what we both did- was wrong, but that was a low blow. You don't know anything about her family!"

"And _you _obviously do," said Maria, looking hurt. "Listen to yourself; you're defending her, when you should be worrying about how _I_ feel about what happened. It's like you're brainwashed!"

Phil closed his eyes, massaging his temple, looking exhausted, "I know you're upset, I know you're hurt, and you have every right to be, but this is not the way to go about it...I..." He trailed off, before standing up. "I should go see Nikki."

Maria stared after him incredulously, Stephen with resignation. He knew this was going to be trouble from the start. Soon enough, they heard the door slam shut again. Steve turned to see Maria looking on the verge of tears. He stood up, and took a seat next to her.

"Hey, hey, take it easy," he said, placing a hesitant hand on hers. "Look, I know Phil's being odd and confusing, but he cares about you a lot. He's just...Nicole's a good friend too."

"It's not just that, it's everything, Steve," Maria replied, "I feel like he's slipping away, and if he would just admit it, maybe it would be easier...I don't know."

Steve sighed, squeezing her hand in comfort. He hated being in this position; he hated not being able to point the finger of blame at one person and just deal with the issue that way. But he knew too much about what was going on inside his friends' minds; he couldn't just judge. He looked Maria in the eyes, saying, "You have to sit down and talk, the two of you. Figure out what's going on, but you need to know that Phil wouldn't hurt you intentionally, Maria."

Maria sighed, before nodding, and standing up. "I think I'll turn in. Thanks, though, Steve." She smiled at Steve weakly, but he could see that she wasn't any less upset than when he came to talk to her. Well, there was only so much he could do.

Meanwhile, outside, Nikki wasn't feeling any better than she had sitting on that chair, staring at Maria in shock. She had heard it before, the insults she got for being a little too provocative. But no one had ever uttered the thoughts that sometimes, often, actually, _did _cross her mind, about her family, and why they were always trying to push her away. Nikki knew the tears were sitting there, just waiting to fall, but she hated crying, she hated being vulnerable like that, so she was resisting as long as she could.

Phil walked out hurriedly, thinking that he was going to have to walk around a little bit before he could find Nikki, but she was standing on the porch. She turned to face him, a look of distress falling over her face. He frowned, not really knowing what to do.

"Nik, I'm sorry, this is all my fault," he said, looking at her with concern.

"You shouldn't be here," she said, trying to avoid looking at Phil.

"Maria doesn't know," he added, "About your brother, I mean. She wouldn't have said that otherwise."

Nikki laughed humourlessly, "Does it matter? She's right; that's exactly what's going through everyone's mind, and I'm starting to believe it's true."

Phil shook his head, reaching out to pull Nikki to his chest, and said, "It's not; you're a lot more than that, Nik, believe me."

However, Nikki wasn't having any of it, as she pushed him away from her, taking a few steps back, "Don't. Phil, I don't know where you stand in this whole situation, but it would be a hell of a lot easier if you just kept your distance; we can't be friends like that anymore. Apparently, I can't be friends with _any _guy."

Phil felt a little insulted by that, as he countered, "What about Steve? You're all buddy-buddy with him, how is that any different?"

Nikki rolled her eyes, "_Steve_ doesn't have a girlfriend, and _Steve_ hasn't kissed me. Twice."

"Need I remind you that _you_ actually kissed me, tonight?" replied Phil.

Nikki sighed, "I know, I had to, Mike and the crew were waiting...and...whatever, I don't want to talk about that." She looked up at him, making eye contact for the first time, "Just go, Phil. Please."

He could see that she was about to cry, and although that in its own made him want to stay, it also kind of scared him. He didn't like how anxious he got, just watching her practically beg him to leave. He didn't like how much it upset him too, watching her hurt. And he didn't know how to make her feel better.

"Okay. I'll see you later," said Phil, resigning. She simply nodded, turning her back on him and hugging herself tightly. He hesitated, before deciding to grant Nikki her wish, and going back inside. Unfortunately, it seemed like his night of disaster was not over yet: Stephen was standing in front of the kitchen table, arms crossed, glaring at him.

Before the guy could say anything, Phil said, "Please, don't. Whatever you have to say I've already said to myself."

"Go talk to Maria. Now," replied Steve shortly. He was really unimpressed with Phil's actions, even if he didn't fully blame him for anything.

"I was just about to," said Phil, making his way to the stairs. Before he went up, he stopped, saying, "Can you go see Nik? I don't know, try to talk to her?"

Steve nodded, before gesturing for him to go upstairs, which Phil did.

He knocked on the door tentatively, but there was no response. After waiting a few minutes, Phil pushed the door open, poking his head in first to see if Maria was even there; she was, and she had obviously just been crying. Phil groaned mentally, before letting himself in and closing the door behind him. He approached Maria, sitting on the edge of the bed, before he placed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her towards him in a hug. At least he knew how to comfort one of them.

Maria pulled away after a few minutes, looking up at him, and asked, "Would you rather be with her?" Phil opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off, "Because if you just told me that, if you'd come out and said it, I can take it."

Phil was tempted to take her word for it, to break things off right then and there, but he could see that she was trying to be brave. It was true that he didn't want to hurt Maria, but he also didn't want to break up with her because that would leave him with a chance to be with Nikki. It was twisted, how he thought, but the mere idea of letting Nikki in even deeper, it was scary. He was never really one to back out of a challenge, or to run away from something, but he was also not the best at relationships. He could be a good boyfriend, as long as things weren't too deep. That was the case with Maria; she didn't penetrate his walls and defences, she didn't make him do impulsive things, she didn't cause him to let his emotions take over. He had control of these things around her. Then there was Nikki. While he didn't completely lose his control over himself, he had come close, some might even say he did lose it. And that was without there being anything official between them. He didn't even want to think of what he would be like if he had the chance to be with her; it was much too intimidating.

"I don't want to be with her," Phil said, partially lying. "I shouldn't have kissed her back, but it was just a moment of weakness. It...it didn't mean anything." And maybe, Phil thought to himself, maybe if he kept telling her and himself that, it would become true, and he would believe it too. He sincerely hoped so, but for some reason, he sort of doubted it.

What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

_**A/N:**_

_Thanks to everyone who's reading, and special thanks to the reviewers! :)_

_You guys are all awesome!_


	12. Chapter 12: Night Gone Wrong

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the universe that might come up in the story. They belong to Vince, and themselves. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

* * *

If the back and forth revenge tactics between Nikki and Maria were stressful and tense, it was nothing compared to life in the house after what happened the night of the storyline dare. It was a few days past three week, yet Stephen, Punk, Maria, and Nikki have yet to all be in the same room, at the same time since then. Nikki was avoiding Punk and Maria at all costs, and the other girl was perfectly content letting her. As a matter of fact, it almost seemed like Maria was glad. Punk was struggling to prove to Maria that he did want to be with her, but it was difficult when you had doubts about the matter yourself. Steve was just getting bored and tired of all the tension, but he found refuge in his mysterious script. It was almost finished, but whenever he got close to ending it, he would revise it again and almost start from scratch.

Tonight, Punk and Stephen were sitting in the living room, watching a basketball game, when Maria came down, all dressed up. Punk glanced over his shoulder at her, asking, "Where are you going?"

She looked annoyed, as she replied, "I told you, girl's night at one of my friends' place. Jen's, in case you need anything." She stopped on her way to the door, adding, "Try _not _to need anything. And I'm taking your car, right?"

Punk remembered that Maria did indeed tell him about this, but it had slipped his mind. He nodded, "The keys are near the door. Have fun!"

"Thanks, I will. Bye!" a few minutes later, they heard the door close behind her.

"What do girls' do in a 'girl's night', anyway?" mused Steve, watching the game intensely.

Punk frowned, snorting, "How am I supposed to know? They...do their hair? And their nails? I don't know."

"Awwh, are you two planning a sleepover? That's so cute."

Steve and Punk both turned to see Nikki, descending the stairs. While a comment like that, a month or so ago, would have made all three of them laugh, and torment each other playfully, or at least grin, the sarcasm and coldness that it came with sort of didn't send the same message. Nikki had been a lot more distance and sarcastic as of late, and neither Punk nor Steve really liked it. However, since he suspected it was partially –if not entirely- his fault, Punk wasn't really in a position to complain.

"Where are _you_ going?" asked Steve, as Nikki too was dressed up, albeit a lot more than Maria was. She was wearing a short, tight-fitting criss-cross blue dress that looked incredibly flattering on her. Too flattering, noted Punk, with a frown.

"I have a date with Mike," she replied shortly, before taking a seat opposite from Steve. The date with Mike sort of came out of the blue. They were just lounging between segments last night, talking, when Mike mentioned the new club that opened downtown. Somehow, the conversation led to them deciding to check it out tonight, together.

"Aah, I see," Steve stood up, realising that this might end up heading downhill, and that he really didn't want to get caught in the middle, again, he said, "Excuse me, I'm getting kind of hungry."

In the living room, Punk glanced at Nikki a few times, but she said nothing. Finally, he broke the silence, "Since when are you and Mike an item?"

Nikki glanced at him with a smirk, "We're not; we're just having fun." The truth was that she didn't really see Mike as a potential boyfriend, and she had a feeling he didn't see her that way either. However, Nikki needed to get past whatever what was going on with her and Punk, because obviously, he and Maria seemed to be solid. She figured Mike was hot, she was hot, so why not? Even if it didn't end up going anywhere, at least she would get a good time out of it. It could be a starting point, one she needed very much.

Punk wasn't sure he liked the way Nikki referred to her relationship with Mike. He said nothing about that, though, instead asking, "So where are you guys going?"

"The new club downtown, I think it's called Solana's or something, I don't know," she glanced at her cell phone's clock, tapping her foot impatiently. However, almost as soon as she started, the doorbell rang. Nikki stood up, "That'd be him. I'll see you guys later, don't wait up!"

Punk watched with a deep frown on his face as she walked away. He did not like the looks of this at all. First off, he had seen Mike around OVW, and before that, and the guy was not the type of person to take anything too seriously. What if he took advantage of Nikki? What if he was just a scumbag? Nikki really shouldn't have gone out with him. And he shouldn't have let her; what if she got hurt? Or, just as bad, what if they actually started dating? At that point, that little all-knowing voice in his head (which sounded _suspiciously _like Stephen) told him that he may just be making excuses, that there may be other reasons why he didn't like the idea of Mike and Nikki, aside from the guy personally. After all, he didn't really know him all that well.

"Nicole's gone already?" asked Steve, as he came back into the living room, with a sandwich and a glass of juice.

Punk nodded, but said nothing, as he continued to watch the match, although his head wasn't really into it anymore. In his mind, he had already decided on how to handle this situation; he just needed a plan of action. He glanced at Steve briefly, recalling that his friend loved going out to clubs and partying. With difficulty, he managed to prevent himself from grinning, as his plan was fully formulated.

Once Steve was almost done eating, Punk spoke, "Hey, did you hear about that new club the opened downtown? I forget what it's called."

Never one to miss out on such things, Steve had the answer ready, "Solana's. I heard it's pretty awesome. I was thinking to check it out, but I haven't really gotten a chance to. Why do you ask?"

Punk shrugged, throwing out a suggestion casually, "I don't know, I figured since the girls were out, maybe we should go somewhere too. You in?"

Steve raised an eyebrow, surprised, and _highly _suspicious, that Punk would wilfully suggest they go out to a club, and not a metal type of bar or something, but a trendy, new club, with loud 'garbage', as Punk liked to call it, playing everywhere. Still, Steve was a sucker for a good night out, and that got the better of him, "I'll put aside my suspicions, because these things don't come very often. Let's go!"

Ten minutes later, they were riding in Steve's car, heading downtown.

Solana's turned out to be exactly what Punk expected: loud, bright, with stupid, obnoxious music, and even stupider, obnoxious people, drunk out of their minds. He liked to have a good party, but he wasn't too fond of extravagance; a smaller, old club, or just a regular bar would do it for him, so long as there was a constant supply of Pepsi, and he would be a happy man. As he glanced at Stephen, it looked like he was in awe, and he was loving the place for the exact same reasons Punk didn't.

"This is heaven," said Steve, looking like a 5-years old kid in a candy shop.

Punk shook his head, laughing at him, before subtly scanning the area, in the hopes of finding Nikki. When his efforts proved fruitless –there were just too many people- Punk followed Steve to the bar, and ordered a Pepsi. As he sipped on his drink, he continued his search. Steve noted this and commented, "If you're taking that much time to find a cute girl, you're either blind or exceptionally picky."

Punk snorted, "I'm not looking for a cute girl; I've already got one, remember? I'm simply observing the scene." Well, in actuality, he was sort of looking for a girl, but not in the way Stephen was insinuating.

"Hey, that one over there looks a lot like Nicole," mused Steve. Punk turned to look at where he was pointing immediately, and narrowed his eyes, as he tried to see if it was Nikki. The flashing lights and the distance proved it challenging, but there was no mistaking Nikki's blonde hair or bright blue dress.

Stephen must have come up with the same conclusion, as he turned on Punk, saying accusingly, "She told you they were coming here." It was a statement, not a question, and one that Punk didn't bother arguing. "Damn it, Phil, do you know how mad she'll be if she sees us?"

"Yes, I do. Which is why we make sure she doesn't; it's called spying," explained Punk. At the exasperated look he received from his friend, he added, "I'm just trying to make sure she doesn't get into a lot of trouble, that's all."

"Really? How chivalrous!" mocked Steve, putting down his untouched martini. If anything was to transpire, he was probably going to get stuck driving, or risk the chance of leaving an angry or distracted Punk behind the wheel. He didn't like that idea too much; his life was a little more valuable than that.

They sat there for a while, chatting about meaningless stuff, changing seats every so often, when they suspected Nikki might catch a glimpse of them. Steve tried, oh how hard he tried, to convince Punk to just go back, but the other guy was having none of it. Steve sighed, every so often, and went along with his friend.

It was all going pretty well, until Nikki and Mike hit the dance floor. If Steve had to pinpoint a moment where everything escalated, he would pick the minute Nikki practically dragged Mike into the dance floor. He could literally see his friend's eyes darken; Punk was starting to see red. Steve tried to keep a close eye on him, while watching Nikki and Mike as well, but the two weren't helping. They seemed very much into each other, as they watched Nikki pull Mike closer to her, as the man's hands travelled south. Steve wanted to yell out at them and tell them to quit it, but unfortunately, his anxiety distracted him from watching Punk. As he turned to check on his friend, all he saw was Punk standing up, pushing through the crowd to where their unsuspecting couple were.

Nikki was having fun, although she had to admit that 'fun' was all that was going on. Then again, she had made it clear to Mike that this was not a mushy-feely date; it was just two friends, going dancing, possibly getting drunk enough –or horny enough- to do things that they would forget about the next morning, and move on with the rest of their lives. Fortunately for her, Mike was on the exact same page. In fact, he seemed to understand her so well, she had to wonder if he had previous troubles with a relationship or something. Mike, however, didn't talk much about things like that; he liked to talk about himself, that was it.

They were dancing by now, feeling hot and bothered, or at least, Nikki was, but it was all good. Mike pulled her in closer to him, and soon enough, he lowered his lips on her, as she grinned into the kiss. She was just getting into it, when she felt someone tapping her shoulder.

Annoyed, Nikki pulled away from Mike, and turned to see who was being a pest, "What?" Her eyes widened when they connected with Phil's. "Phil...what the hell are you doing here?"

Mike was really, really enjoying his 'date' –if you could call it that- with Nikki. She wasn't making too big of a deal about it, she was chill and cool about just having fun, which was hard to find with girls. Mike needed that, right now, especially after the disastrous end to his last relationship. As those thoughts and memories began to invade his mind, he pushed them away, and leaned in to close the gap between him and Nikki. She was one heck of a good kisser, not better than him, because, well, that was impossible, but she was pretty good. However, much too soon for his liking, she pulled away. He looked up to see what was going on, only to spot Punk, pulling her away from him. Before he could fully process the situation, Punk's fist connected with his face.

Nikki opened her mouth to argue when Phil said nothing, instead choosing to pull her aside roughly. But before she could say so much, he started attacking Mike. Nikki gasped, as the two rolled on the floor, beating the crap out of each other.

"Phil, what the hell are you doing, get off of him!" Nikki attempted to pull him away from Mike, but one of them (she wasn't sure which), pushed her, and she ended up staggering backwards, and almost falling. She would have, too, if it wasn't for Stephen catching her right on time. As she began to thank him, it occurred to her; what the hell was Steve doing here?

Nikki pushed the thought aside, however, trying to focus instead on the fight that was unfolding in front of her. Thankfully, Steve did manage to pull Phil up, and hold him away from Mike. Nikki approached the blonde guy, and helped him, up, asking, "Damn it, Mike, are you okay?"

Mike tore his eyes away from Punk, glancing at Nikki. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that this wasn't her fault, but right now, he was too angry, too hurt, and just pissed off, to care. He pulled his arm away, spitting out at her, "I'm fine, no thanks to _you_. Next time you wanna 'have fun', why don't you try running it by your boyfriend over there, first, bitch." With that, he wiped away the blood from his nose, and walked away.

Nikki stared at his retreating figure, still in shock. In a matter of five minutes, things went from being all fun and games, to this. It was all Phil's fault. She turned slowly to face him, a fire burning in her eyes. Steve was holding him back, still, and he was breathing heavily.

Probably sensing that Nikki was about to explode, Steve suggested, "How about we go home? Uhm, I can drive...okay?"

Phil pulled himself away from his friend, nodding curtly, his eyes still on Nikki. He wasn't going anywhere unless she was coming too, even if he had to make her. If he was thinking clearly, he would have probably figured out that force wasn't the way to go, but he was still recovering. Fortunately, though, Nikki nodded, and followed Steve out of the club.

The drive home was deadly silent; it made Steve dread going home. The longer the silence continued, he guessed, the worse the explosion will be. He was soon to be proven right. As soon as they parked in front of the house, Nikki stomped her way inside, not giving them a second glance. However, when he and Phil entered the house, she was standing by an arm chair, glaring at the two of them furiously.

Nikki approached Phil, before closing her eyes tightly, then finally opening them and speaking in a deadly low, cold voice, "You are the most selfish, self-righteous, unreasonable man ever. I can't believe you just did that."

Stephen winced at Nikki's words, and wondered how Phil must be feeling, hearing them.

"Did what? Made sure that scumbag didn't take advantage of you?" asked Phil, obviously not backing down. "Oh yeah, I'm _such _a terrible person."

"It's not taking advantage of someone when I'm letting him, dammit!" retorted Nikki. "What, is it illegal to have some fun these days?"

"There's fun, then there's selling yourself short, two _completely _different things," said Phil. "I don't think I have to tell you what you were doing."

"Okay, fine, I was 'selling myself short', or so you claim. It's none of your fucking business!" replied Nikki, her voice rising, "You don't own me."

"I was just fucking looking out for you, and this is what I get? Geez, thanks!" said Phil sarcastically. He knew he was right; Nikki shouldn't be letting people put their hands all over her, treat her like a disposable object. She was so much more than that.

"I don't need you to do that; I can take care of myself, I've been doing it for practically the last twenty years," said Nikki, looking torn between being furious, and on the verge of tears.

"Yeah, well, it didn't look like it," Punk pushed his hair back, looking frustrated. He didn't know how to explain it to her, why he did what he did, why she shouldn't be with Mike. "He wasall over you, he was treating you like nothing but a sex object, it was insulting!"

Nikki raised an eyebrow at this, retorting, "You didn't seem to find it so insulting when it was _you_ all over me."

Phil narrowed his eyes at her, not exactly sure how to respond to that. He crossed his arms over his chest, "That was different; I don't see you as some worthless one night stand. Mizanin did, and you know it."

"Okay, so what if he did? I saw him exactly the same way. And don't try to make it sound like you're the good guy; you kissed me, _twice_, while you were still seeing someone else, and you still are. _That_ is what I would call scummy," said Nikki. She looked frustrated beyond belief, as she stated, "You are not my father, or my brother, and you're certainly not my boyfriend. You have absolutely no right to try and tell me what to do. So, please, fucking stay away from my life!"

"I don't understand why you're so mad," said Phil, stung by her words. He was only trying to protect her.

"Are you kidding me?" said Nikki, laughing humourlessly. She stopped, adding, "There's only one reason you could have given me that would have justified your actions." A flash of hurt came across her eyes, "We both know you won't go with that one."

Phil knew what she was talking about, deep down, he knew it. He wanted to tell her that she was right, that the reason he completely lost it was- He stopped his train of thoughts from heading to that direction; it was trouble, he didn't need any more trouble. He must have looked uncomfortable, as Steve, who had been standing to the side, quiet, piped in, "Nicole, come on, he didn't me-"

"Don't," said Nikki sharply, cutting him off. "You're not that better off than him. And right now, I can't stand either of you."

With that, she turned around, climbing up the stairs. A few minutes later, they heard her slamming the door to her room loudly. Only then did Steve let out a frustrated sigh. He glanced at Phil, who was leaning against an arm chair, looking weary.

"Well, so much for a calm, quiet night," said Steve, before he too left the living room, and headed to his own room.

Phil fell back on the chair, rubbing his eyes tiredly. What did he do? He didn't seem to be getting anything right these days. It was all becoming too much; mistake after mistake, and he was unintentionally hurting the people he cared about, one by one. He knew what he could do to fix it, but he had to wonder, would doing that, would acknowledging those feelings, those thoughts deep inside, wouldn't it just end up hurting everyone even more? He didn't know the answer, and for once, he was too scared to try and find out.

* * *

_**A/N: **_

_So Phil is being a scaredy-cat lol. I'm kind of enjoying writing him squirming with those evil things they call...feelings...shudder... :P Tell me what you thought! :)_

_Thanks to everyone who's reading, and special thanks to the reviewers! :)_

_You guys are all sososo awesome!_


	13. Chapter 13: Of Apologies & Explanations

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the universe that might come up in the story. They belong to Vince, and themselves. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

* * *

Nikki knocked on the blue door twice, waiting. There was no response. She sighed, and waited a few more minutes, before knocking again, this time more forcefully. Still no answer. She glanced at her watch, to make sure that it wasn't too early to be here; it was past noon. He should have been awake by now.

Deciding there was no other way, she sighed, resting her forehead against the door, and spoke, "Mike, come on, I know you're in there. You can't keep ignoring me."

It was two days since their fiasco at the club, and Nikki had tried to contact Mike, but he ignored her phone calls, text messages, and even when she tried to IM him, he wouldn't respond. She got it, he was mad because he was beat up, and he had every right to be upset, but it wasn't like Nikki meant for that to happen. Phil was just an idiot. Speaking of Phil, she had yet to speak another word to him since Friday night, and she wasn't planning on changing that any time soon. Stephen apologized, and begrudgingly, she forgave him. After all, he had no way of knowing what Phil was planning on doing. Plus, Steve was always stuck in the middle, or dragged into things byPhil; he was probably the only innocent one. Maria, surprisingly, seemed to be loving the situation. Nikki had expected her to be upset, but the woman was practically ecstatic that Nikki wasn't talking to Phil. The way Nikki saw it, it was better that way anyway; no more troubles with Maria, or at least, no new ones.

However, right now, she really wanted to see Mike. He might not like it, or admit it for that matter, but she did consider him a friend, and she wanted to make things right with him. It was a little difficult when he ignored her.

Nikki grumbled in frustration, before yelling out again, "Mike, dammit, just open the fucking door, I'm not standing here with a sledgehammer, ready to attack, if that's what you're worried about."

There was silence for a few seconds, before the door suddenly opened, causing her to stumble forward. Mike managed to catch her and help her stand straight before she fell, but then he turned around and stalked off into his apartment, without verbally inviting her in. Nikki frowned, but she figured he let her in, he wasn't about to kick her out, was he? She followed him, into the living room apparently, and found him sitting on a couch, flipping through TV channels.

"I'm not afraid of sledgehammers, just fyi," said Mike, his eyes not leaving the TV screen.

Nikki rolled her eyes, taking a seat, "That's, uhh, good to know." She felt very uncomfortable –and unwelcome- in this place. She looked at Mike, "You haven't been answering my calls. Or my texts. Or my IM's."

Finally, he spared her a brief glance, sneering as he went back to watching TV, speaking sarcastically, "Others would get the message. I, me, Mike Mizanin, the Miz, don't want to talk to _you._"

"It's just a little bit hard to apologize to someone when they won't talk to you, Mizanin," replied Nikki.

"Awwwh, isn't that adorable! Pwetty wittle Valentine is going to say sowwy to Mike! How sweet!" he said, obviously mocking her.

Nikki narrowed her eyes, "Well, I was going to. Now I'm not so sure," She crossed her legs, "Actually, now that I think about it, I don't even know _why _I'm apologizing; I'm not the one who called my date a 'bitch', before ditching her, now, am I?"

"Yes, you're also not the one who got attacked by a freak," replied Mike smoothly, glaring at her. "If you wanted to make him jealous, maybe you could have at least given me a warning; I could have had fun with it."

Nikki looked at Mike incredulously, "I wasn't trying to make anyone jealous; I was just having fun. God, I can't do that anymore without being interrogated by everyone and anyone, can I?"

"Well, excuse me, why else would Brooks attack me?" shot back Mike.

"I don't know, the guy has issues, and he's just...urrghhh," Nikki stopped, taking a deep breath to calm herself down. "I'm not here to talk about Phil. I just wanted to see if you're alright...if we're alright."

"I didn't know there was a 'we'," said Mike, smirking. "I thought I told you to control your emotions, woman."

"I meant are we cool, you and I?" explained Nikki, rolling her eyes.

Mike seemed to get slightly serious, as he asked, "You seriously weren't trying to use me to make him jealous?"

Nikki shook her head, replying honestly, "It never even crossed my mind. Look, I needed a break, a fresh start with someone new, someone who wouldn't make too big of a deal of it, and you were there. I wasn't using you; I was honestly just chilling."

Mike studied Nikki for a while, before saying begrudgingly, "I guess I can spare you some sympathy. You're forgiven, Valentine." Despite the annoyed tone, there was a hint of a grin playing on his face.

Nikki cleared her throat, looking at him expectantly. Mike glanced at her, asking, "What? I forgave you, is there more?"

"Uhm, how about 'I'm sorry I called you a bitch'? That sort of sounds nice," said Nikki, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, that. Fine. I didn't really mean that," said Mike, looking in as much pain as someone getting his teeth pulled out. "I...apologize." He shuddered, "Urgh, that was _horrible_."

Nikki laughed, smirking as she said, "That was a C- as far as apologies go."

"Oh, really? You're still a D, by the way. In fact, after Friday, I think you'd be a D-," said Mike.

"You suck, you know that, right?" said Nikki, as she grinned.

"It's what you all say to make yourselves feel better," Mike smirked. "You people just can't handle my awesomeness."

* * *

_**A/N: **_

_a bit shorter than usual, lol. I wanted a bit of a breather, some light comic relief, and I just adore the Miz haha._

_Shout out to the reviewers -_

_**humanoidaspect**: Maria and Punk will break up, I'll tell you that...lol So don't worry, there's still hope!_

_**EmilieCW-DXfan0119**: Haha, I'm glad you like it! I'm hoping things get even better :D_

_**MishaMuse**: Yuss, I've won you over haha. About the lead-up to the 1st chapter, I was going to do that, but if I do go through with that, it'll be one heck of a long story. I might do it, or I might cut it up into parts, but I'll def. show how they got to that point ;)_

_Please review :) You guys are all sososo awesome!_


	14. Chapter 14: When the Mighty Fall

_**Disclaimer:**_

_ Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, and Vince. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

* * *

_Beep! Beeeep!_

Phil rolled over on his bed, trying to block out the beeping noise that was just hell bent on disrupting his sleep. Did it not get that he didn't get that much sleep to begin with, so he would really like to make the best of the few hours he does get to sleep? Apparently not. However, after a few seconds, it stopped. Phil grinned in satisfaction into his pillow. Unfortunately, the universe was just hell bent on waking him up, because next, he could hear loud knocking on his door, and Steve's annoying voice hollering from outside.

Disgruntled, Phil rolled over again, glancing at his alarm clock.

14:47 pm.

"Shit!" he yelped, jumping out of the bed. He rubbed his eyes and checked once more. It was still 14:47. Phil swore some more under his breath, before rushing out of his room, and almost knocking over Steve, as he dashed into the bathroom. All the while, he was going over the shit load of trouble that he was going to get in from Jeremiah and the rest for being so late. He was supposed to be there almost two hours ago!

This wasn't very like him; yeah, Phil wasn't the most punctual guy in the world, but he always made it to work and/or training relatively on time. Lately, however, he hadn't been feeling well. He wasn't going to admit it to anyone else, but he was feeling weaker and weaker, and he was just recovering from a bout of flu that lasted unusually long. His body ached even more than usual, and he was just feeling lousy. Often, he suspected that his temperature was a running a little high, but he dismissed it all. As long as he could wrestle, it wasn't that big of a deal, in his opinion.

Before leaving again to Raw, Maria had been a little concerned, but Phil assured her that everything was fine, and fortunately, she believed him. To be quite honest, and he felt like such a jerk to even think it, he was more comfortable with Maria away. He could breathe a little easier, and he wasn't always looking over his shoulder to make sure she and Nikki didn't kill each other. Speaking of the other girl, while she stopped giving him death glares after the first three weeks following the night at the club, she was rather cold and short with him. It was very frustrating to Phil, especially since she seemed to forgive Mike and Stephen almost a few days after the incidents.

Everything was just so stressful. He hated it, and wished he could go back a few months ago, when things were so much simpler, and the only thing on his mind was wrestling.

Phil got dressed, and headed downstairs, where Steve spotted him and said, smirking, "Jeremiah called; he sounded very annoyed."

Phil bit back a groan, and nodded in acknowledgement, as he grabbed his keys and left.

* * *

Nikki sat in front of the mirror, in the diva's locker room, as she brushed her hair. She was torn between tying it up in a ponytail, or letting it down, and styling it. A ponytail would be very much practical, considering she was going to wrestle and all, but her character was supposed to be this super feminine, ultra girly diva, so the styling would fit that better. The sound of other girls heading into the locker room had her deciding to go with the ponytail, and get out of here. Sure, she liked a few of her fellow divas, but some of them just got on her nerves, but to be quite fair, she wasn't the easiest person for girls to get along with.

As the ladies entered, Nikki grinned at them, saying hi, before she made to leave. One of the girls, Valerie, however, addressed her before she left, "Hey, Nikki, is it true?"

Nikki frowned, asking, "Is what true?"

"That Mike is leaving?" when Nikki frowned, Valerie explained, "I heard a few of the guys talking about it. I thought you would know."

Nikki silently shook her head, before replying, "No, I haven't really heard anything. It could be true, though, why don't you ask Mike himself?"

"Well, we figured you would know. Aren't you two dating or something?" asked Valerie.

Nikki laughed, "No, he and I are just friends. But I'll ask him about that, thanks for telling me."

With that, she left, with a new destination in mind. Nikki made her way down to the guys' locker room, when she was stopped by Jeremiah, who looked very irritated and concerned at the same time.

"Nikki, can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked, making it sound more like a demand than a request.

Nikki shrugged, nodding.

"Great. What the hell is going on with Punk?" he asked, looking very much irritated.

Nikki frowned, "Uhm, I don't know? What happened?"

Jeremiah began waving his hands around, nearly going off in a rant, "He's been out of shape, he's been irritable...more so than usual; he got in a fight with one of the school's volunteers a few dayys ago, and all the guys who work him are telling me that he's not doing as well as he was before; just this morning, I had to call your place to get to him. Apparently, he slept in."

Nikki's frown deepened. She hadn't really been paying Phil much attention lately, partially because she was still very much upset with him over what he did, but also because she wanted to try and put a distance between the two of them. Had she been ignoring him too much? Nikki tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear. "I haven't noticed that. But maybe you can talk to him?"

"I tried; he just brushed me off. Do you think it might have to do with Maria? You know, she's gone and all," Jeremiah contemplated. "I'm starting to get worried."

"I don't think that's it, I mean, he was fine before Maria came to OVW, wasn't he?" pointed out Nikki, a little too defiantly. She didn't like the idea of Phil being upset over Maria's absence, but that was an entirely different topic. "I honestly have no idea, but I'll let you know if I notice something."

Jeremiah sighed, but he nodded, dismissing her, "Alright, alright. Thank you."

Nikki nodded, before continuing her journey to Mike's locker room. She knocked on the door, before poking her head through, "Permission to enter the Land of Awesomeness?"

Mike, who was lacing up his boots, looked up, rolling his eyes, "I don't know, I don't like it when losers walk around my land. They always mess it up big time."

"Ahh, the things awesomeness goes through," Nikki said, smirking. "I guess you'll just have to deal with it, jerk."

She entered, making her way over to sit next to him on the bench. She waited until he finished putting on his boots, before saying, "I've been hearing some rumours, Mr. Mizanin."

"Oh yeah? About?" he asked.

"Oh, I don't know. You, leaving to 'bigger and better' things, crazy, surreal stuff like that," said Nikki, joking.

"Really? Really? Is that the best you can come up with? 'Crazy, surreal stuff'" Mike snorted. "Me thinks I sense some jealousy there."

"Shut up, asshole. Is it true?" she asked, her tone a little bit more serious.

Mike shrugged, before nodding slowly, "Yes, Valerie got one thing right. First time ever in her life, she deserves an award."

Nikki laughed; everyone knew Valerie was the gossip freak around, apparently, guys as well. She looked pretty impressed, as she said, "Wow, that's pretty amazing." She smirked, "I mean, WWE is obviously lowering their standards. I'm probably next." She avoided the light punch aimed at her, before asking, "Which brand?"

"SmackDown. I don't know if there is a storyline yet, but tonight's my last match here," replied Mike.

"Wow, that's soon. I'm finally going to be able to breathe freely," Nikki said. "No more Miz ego taking up all of the space."

"You're going to miss Miz ego, loser, and you know it," said Mike, smirking smugly.

"Unfortunately, I am," Nikki's smile was a little bit more sincere, "Promise to keep in touch?"

"I don't do promises," replied Mike, smirking slightly, but then he added, "But I probably will. Talking to you always reminds me of how amazing I am compared to you."

Nikki and Mike both laughed, before she gave him a hug. They talked and teased each other for a little longer, before it was time for Mike's match, his last on-screen match, apparently.

* * *

Phil was preparing for his match, stretching in the locker room. He wasn't feeling very well, if he was to be honest with himself. In fact, he felt sick to his stomach, but he figured that was just him being a pansy and nervous about the match. If he was thinking clearly, he might have realised that he was rarely ever nervous for matches like these. There was nothing in the line, or anything; it was just a match, yet he was shaking, and shivering.

Out of nowhere, Jeremiah appeared from behind him. The older man studied him with concern, before making his presence known, "You ready, Punk?"

Phil almost jumped, at the sound of Jeremiah's voice, but he attempted to recover, nodding, "Yeah, I'm just stretching."

Jeremiah frowned; Punk looked like he was sweating, and he looked a little too pale for Jeremiah's liking. He approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder, and asked, "Phillip, are you feeling alright? You're skin is burning hot!"

Phil shrugged off Jeremiah's hand, shaking his head, and saying defiantly, "I'm fine. I'm just a pumped up, that's all. Excuse me, I have to go."

With that, he pushed Jeremiah aside and made his way to the ring.

However, even as he walked out to the ring, he could feel his head getting heavy, his breathing heavier, faster, and everything was spinning slightly. He got through the match, somehow. It was a good thing that he was supposed to lose, because Phil had a feeling pulling a convincing win would have been difficult. For once, when he was pinned, and the bell rang, Phil was happy. He wasted no time crawling out of the ring, and heading backstage. He just wanted to go home.

* * *

Nikki was near the locker room, tying her shoelaces, after she was done for the day, and she showered and changed into her t-shirt and jeans. She looked up as she heard someone making his or her way back to the locker rooms, and found herself face to face with CM Punk.

Nikki smiled grimly at him, but then she noted how pale and sweaty he looked. Jeremiah was definitely on to something; Phil wasn't well. She frowned, standing up straight, and asked, "Phil, are you feeling alright?"

Phil didn't seem to be seeing her clearly, but he did attempt to nod. He then attempted to walk past her, on his way to the locker room, but two steps ahead, and he began staggering. Alarmed, Nikki reached out to help steady him, just in time to prevent him from falling, face first, to the floor.

Unfortunately for her, Phil was kind of a lot heavier than she was, so she struggled to keep him and herself from falling. However, a few seconds later, Mike's voice came from behind her, "Whoa, hey, here." He helped her steady Phil, as he glanced at him curiously, frowning, "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know, he just sort of collapsed," Nikki said, concerned. "We should probably take him to the physician guy in the back."

Mike nodded, as he helped her practically lug Phil to the back. Once there, they found the doctor taping up some guy's ribs. Nikki forgot his name, but honestly, she didn't care. Both the guy and the doctor looked at them as they walked in, alarmed.

"Oh dear, what happened to him?" asked the doctor, frowning. He gestured for his nurse to come and take care of the other guy, as he led Nikki and Mike to the other side of the room.

"We have no idea," replied Nikki. "He was coming out of his match, maybe it has something to do with that?"

Mike shook his head, saying, "No, I watched it. He wasn't doing very well, but I don't think he got hurt in there."

The doctor nodded at them, barely hearing what they said, as he examined the unconscious Phil. After about ten minutes, he looked up, speaking, "This young man doesn't take a break, does he?"

Nikki rolled her eyes, "I don't think he understands what that word means."

"I figured; you're all like that," replied the doctor, chuckling, as he pulled out a note pad and a pen, writing some prescription, "He's overworked; his immune system is probably a mess, a blood test will prove that, and I think he has pneumonia." At Nikki's and Mike's alarmed looks, he added, "You two look healthy enough; I doubt it'll be contagious." He then signalled to his nurse, who proceeded to come and take a blood sample from Phil.

Less than an hour later, Nikki and Mike were helping a slightly conscious Phil back to his car. They helped him get in the backseat, where he laid down and went to sleep. Nikki shook her head, after she closed the door, "What a way to end the week!"

"Yeah, sucks for you. So, I'll drive your car home?" Mike asked.

Nikki nodded, "Nah, it's fine. I'll take Sicko's car on Monday. Thanks, by the way; I know you're not very fond of Phil, and to be honest, lately, I haven't really been either."

"Eh, I figured now you owe me. So does he," Mike said, smirking. "Make sure to tell him; I don't think he'll be very happy about that."

Nikki rolled her eyes, "I should have guessed." Smiling a little more sincerely, she asked, "When do you leave?"

"Sunday," replied Mike casually.

Nikki's eyes widened in surprise, "Wow, that's so soon. So, I guess this is goodbye, for now."

"Yep, yep, couldn't come any sooner," said Mike, grinning jokingly.

Nikki sighed in exasperation, before pulling Mike in a warm hug, "Knock their socks off, alright?" Mike was initially reluctant, but he figured this was the last time he was going to see her for a while, and even though he would never, ever admit it out loud, she was sort of a friend to him by now. He hugged her back, with a small smile.

"You know it," he said, after he pulled away. He stepped away from her, and waved, as he walked toward his car, "See you around, Valentine."

Nikki waved, before turning to look at the still unconscious body that was Phil, in the backseat. She leaned in to touch his forehead, wincing as she noted how feverish he was. She shook her head, before taking the driver's seat, heading home.

* * *

_**A/N:** _

_I just wanted to thank you all for reviewing! I would reply to each of you, but I tend to ramble, and I have a feeling I'll take up a whole lot of space lol. You guys are honestly the best; I love reading each and every one of your reviews, knowing what you guys like, what you don't like. It's helping me a lot! So...thank you! :)_

_Once again, thanks for reading, and please review! xoxo_


	15. Chapter 15: Sick & Grumpy

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, and Vince. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

* * *

CM Punk had been through a lot of physical pain in his life. He had gone through so many things and thought he could never come back out, yet he always did. However, as he glanced at the alarm clock by his bedside, telling him it was 4:43 PM, he knew he wasn't in great shape. He didn't sleep that long when he was well and healthy. Couple that with the fact that he felt like his entire body was just begging him to stay in that bed, to sleep and sleep and sleep, and his throat and chest hurting like hell, and you have an extremely unpleasant condition. Nevertheless, he dragged himself out of bed, somehow made his way to the bathroom, almost tripping a few times, what with his head spinning, showered, and was ready to leave to work in twenty minutes.

As Punk descended the stairs, he could hear Nikki's and Stephen's voices downstairs, but he wondered if he was just hearing things; he did feel slightly feverish, and Nikki was supposed to be at work by now.

Apparently, she didn't have the same agenda, as she was sitting in the living room, watching some reality TV show with Stephen. Punk frowned at her, asking, "Why are you here?"

Nikki and Steve seemed surprised to see him there, Steve more so concerned, however. Nikki smirked, replying, "Well, it all started about twenty or so years ago, when my parents decided they wanted another child...hmmm, technically, they didn't _decide_, and they were both probably drunk out of their minds...but, nevertheless, as I was saying..,,."

Punk cut her off, "No, I don't want to hear the rest of that story. I have to go; Jeremiah's going to kill me if I don't show up soon."

He was halfway to the door, when Nikki said, "Really? I don't think Jeremiah likes you _that_ much, if it all. You know, enough to want to see your face on a Saturday, when he could be with other people."

Punk turned around, feeling stupid. Right now, though, it didn't matter how stupid he must have looked for not realising it was the weekend. He had an important decision to make: go straight back up to his room and sleep the rest of the day, or head to the gym and work out. His body favoured the first option; it practically begged him to go back to bed. But he needed to get back in shape. He had to work out some more.

"Alright...I'll go to the gym then," said Punk, turning around, only to be stopped, once more, this time by Steve.

"Dude, I don't think that's a good idea. The doctor said you should rest."

A doctor. So Punk wasn't hallucinating last night, when he thought he was taken to some sort of physician. Well, it didn't change anything. He was still going.

"I've rarely listened to doctors before, I'm not starting now," said Punk defiantly, even as he had trouble keeping everything in sight straight and clear.

Nikki clapped her hands together once, before announcing, as she made her way over to Punk, "That's the spirit! Can I come with? I need to work out more."

Punk and Steve were both surprised by this, although Punk had a feeling it was for different reasons, when his friend looked at Nikki like she was crazy. He, however, was surprised because, even in his somewhat delusional state, he remembered that Nikki had been trying to avoid him at all costs since the incident at the club. Now she wanted to go work out with him? Willingly?

"You want to come with me?" asked Punk dubiously. When Nikki simply nodded, he shrugged, "Alright. Let's go."

Nikki grinned at him widely, ignoring the concerned protests by Stephen. Punk was really unsure what to make of this, but he was too physically and mentally tired to over-think it, so he was going to take things as they were.

* * *

Nikki observed Punk from the corner of her eye, as she took a break. She glanced at the big clock on the opposite side, raising her eyebrows slightly. She was impressed that he lasted this long; from what the doctor said last night, anything too physical was going to drain him, fast, if not cause him to get sicker. She glanced at Punk again, noting that he looked sort of green. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed a nearby trash can, and reached Punk just as he stopped lifting weights, and bent, no doubt to puke his guts out. And he did just that, fortunately for both of them, in the trash can. She didn't think the managers would be too pleased with them if he made a mess.

Nikki stood silently, placing a hand on his back, as he continued to dry heave, by now, into the trash can. When he finally stopped, she said, "Wow, twenty minutes. That's ten minutes longer than I expected you to last."

Punk looked up at her, breathing heavily, as he asked, "You knew this would happen?"

Nikki nodded, smirking slightly, "Yup, the doc mentioned it last night."

"Why'd you let me come, then?" he asked, angry that she didn't even warn him.

"Would you have listened?" asked Nikki, raising an eyebrow. At the expression on Punk's face, she smirked in satisfaction, "Exactly! Now, are you ready to admit that you need rest, or should we do this again? I gotta know, because I think I'm going to need a different trash can."

Punk glared at her, but he had to admit that she was right. He most certainly would not have listened if she tried to convince him to stay home. Still, that didn't stop him from muttering, "You're a terrible friend."

Nikki laughed, before grabbing Punk's gym bag for him, and walking ahead of him, "And oddly enough, I'm okay with that. Let's go, Pretty Boy. I'm driving."

Punk's eyes widened in alarm, as he shook his head, "No, no, no, I'm already nauseated enough as it is. Your driving will make me puke, and I can't let that happen to my car."

Nikki laughed, "Alright, I promise to drive a mile an hour. Let's go, you need to lie down!"

Punk was way too tired, and dizzy, to argue any longer, so he simply followed her, trying with great difficulty to stay standing upright and walking straight.

Once they got home, Stephen was surprised to see them back so early. He watched Punk go upstairs to his room, silently, as Nikki watched him with an amused grin on her face. Steve frowned, "What happened?"

"He threw up, but I have to give him credit, he lasted almost twenty minutes! It was quite surprising," replied Nikki, as she pulled off her sweater.

"Wait...you knew he was going to get sick?" Steve asked, echoing Punk before him.

"Yessir," before Steve could ask, she explained, "If we'd told him he couldn't go, he would have gone anyway, so I figured I'd let him crash and burn. It was pretty funny, watching him stumble around, half conscious."

"You're so mean," said Steve, but he was grinning, as well.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she placed her hands on her hips, ordering Steve, "Go make him some soup or something to eat, the doctor said he can't have his anti-biotic without food."

Steve looked uneasy, "Uuuh...that might be trouble." At Nikki's questioning look, "Phil can be..._difficult_, when he's sick."

"I thought he was just difficult by default," commented Nikki, smirking.

"No, no, it's even worse. Oh, god, you weren't there when he fractured his skull," Steve shook his head, no doubt at the memory.

"Why? What did he do?" Nikki asked, curious.

"He basically slept 20 hours a day, for three weeks, drinking Gatorade to live," replied Steve.

"Well, I'm not having that," said Nikki, looking determined. "Now go make the soup."

Steve stared at her; did she not hear what he just said? Phil wasn't going to listen, he never did, and never will, as far as Steve's past experiences told him. Everyone he knew tried to convince him sleeping wasn't the best way to get better, but he never listened. Apparently, Nicole didn't care. He shrugged, as she ascended the stairs, and decided he might as well go do what she told him.

Meanwhile, Phil had gone upstairs, changed into his pajama pants, and crawled under the covers, intending to sleep for the next twenty to thirty hours, with the hopes of waking up feeling normal again. Unfortunately for him, either Stephen or Nikki were not on the same page, as he heard one of them knocking on the door. He refused to answer it, hoping they would go away, and after a few moments, it seemed to work.

Nikki rolled her eyes, when Phil wouldn't answer the door. She highly doubted he was already asleep, so she proceeded to open the door and poke her head in. The room was pitch black. Nikki frowned, but she still went in, closing the door behind her. Now it was completely black; she waited until her eyes adjusted to the darkness, before walking over to Phil's bed, and sitting on the edge.

She waited a bit, before shoving Phil lightly, and saying, "You're not fooling me, you know." When he didn't respond, Nikki sighed, "I see Steve was right. Here's the thing, Pretty Boy, sleeping isn't going to make the pneumonia go away, believe it or not."

At this, Phil finally revealed his head, looking distressed, "Pneumonia? No way, you're lying."

"Why would I do that?" asked Nikki, smiling in amusement.

Phil glared at her, studying her face to see if there was any hint of deceit, but he found nothing. It made sense, he supposed, considering he did have what he thought was a cold a few days ago. He sighed; this was really not the time for him to get sick. He was frustrated with his personal issues, not to mention that he thought it was about darn time he got drafted into the main shows. If Mizanin was, he should have been a long time ago, but Phil knew why he was being held back. Being an indie wrestler, he had a lot more to prove; he wasn't a WWE made puppet, like most of the guys out there.

"It's okay, we're in the 21st century, it's not a fatal condition anymore," said Nikki, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "I mean, as long as you take your antibiotics."

"I hate antibiotics. I hate being sick, I hate OVW, and I hate you. Go away," said Phil, disgruntled.

"OVW? Why, what did they do?" asked Nikki. She understood the rest; he was frustrated, and probably didn't mean any of it.

"They let stupid Mike Mizanin get drafted and I'm ten times the wrestler he is," muttered Phil, coughing. "I hate him."

Nikki couldn't hold back the amused grin; she tried, she really did, but she couldn't, "I've noticed. Something about beating the crap out of a guy kind of gives you a hint."

Phil glared at Nikki darkly, "_That_ had nothing to do with this."

"I know," said Nikki, but for some reason, Phil didn't really believe her. "Now, Steve's downstairs making you something to eat, but he seems to think you're not going to cooperate."

"Steve's a smart guy," replied Phil shortly. After that, he slid under the covers and pulled them over his head again, intending to end this conversation and sleep.

"Yep, Steve is," said Nikki, not showing any signs of leaving, "You, however, I'm not too sure about."

"Go away," said Phil, his voice sounding weaker every time.

"I will, as soon as I see you eat, and take your medicine," replied Nikki with a grin.

"I don't do medicine, remember?"

"Uh-huh, I'm not stupid. You don't do drugs, or painkillers, but you told me yourself that prescription medication, as long as it's legal, is cool," when Phil poked his head out of the blanket to glare at her, in a mixture of annoyance and surprise, Nikki beamed at him, "I may sometimes act like an airhead, but I have an excellent memory, Pretty Boy."

"Look, I appreciate your concern, but this is how I always do it; I sleep, and when I wake up, I'll be better, now. Go away."

Nikki raised an eyebrow challengingly, "I'm prepared to force feed you, if I have to, so you might want to cooperate."

"Why are you talking to me anyway? I thought you were mad at me? Why can't you be mad at me now and go away?" asked Phil, somewhat curious.

"Oh, I'm still mad at you, believe me," said Nikki, grinning, "But I've decided to give you a break...until you get better at least. See? I'm a reasonable person."

"Oh yes, the wisest of them all," replied Phil sarcastically. However, he was kind of glad Nikki was cutting him some slack, finally, especially since he still firmly believed that he was doing the right thing. Friends are supposed to look out for each other, aren't they? It didn't matter if they had ulterior motives, at least not in Phil's mind, and he was still not prepared to admit that, anyway.

At that moment, there were two knocks on the door, before Steve poked his head in. It was still rather dark, so while Nikki and Phil saw Steve pretty well, he probably couldn't see much. This was evident when he asked, "Phil? Is Nikki here?"

"Come on in, Ritchie Rich," said Nikki, "Turn on the lights, will you?"

"No!" exclaimed Phil, pulling the covers over his head as light flooded the room. "I told you, this isn't making me feel any better!"

Nikki simply giggled, as Steve entered the room tentatively, carrying a tray.

"You're acting like such a baby!" said Nikki. "Come on, sit up, and try it. I'm sure Steve's cooking isn't that bad."

When Phil neither said nor did anything, Steve turned to face Nikki with an all-knowing look on his face, "I told you so."

Nikki ignored Stephen. With a defiant look on her face, she got off the bed, and proceeded to yank the covers off of Phil.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Phil yelled, coughing as he strained his throat. He turned to look at Steve, demanding, "Take her outside, or I'll end up fucking murdering her!"

"I don't think you can muster up enough energy to do that, though," replied Nikki casually. "Think of it this way: if you eat, you'll be one step closer."

Steve couldn't restrain himself from snorting at the way she was treating Phil like a five years old child. That earned him a glare from the other guy, but he simply shrugged.

Phil glared at Nikki, and the two of them had a bit of a staring contest, before swearing and cursing under his breath, after which he said, "Fuck it, give me the damn soup." Steve silently placed the tray near Phil, who looked at it with such disgust one would think it was rotten mice that was presented to him. He glanced up at Nikki, who was grinning from ear to ear, "If I eat this crap, will you go away?"

"Faster than you can say Valentine," replied Nikki.

"Fine. Fine! I'll eat, anything to make you disappear," grumbled Phil. He raised the spoon to his lips, grimacing as he swallowed. It was like he was being force fed poison. After about ten minutes, he had finished about half the soup, and then proceeded to push the tray toward Steve. "That's it. Now. Get the fuck out of my room."

Nikki looked pretty pleased, and did keep her promise. Before she left the room, she looked at Steve, "Make sure he takes the antibiotics!" After that, she blew Phil a kiss, smirking at her accomplishment, before closing the door behind her.

Steve chuckled, as he watched Phil glare at the door behind Nikki.

"I have to give her props, I didn't expect her to succeed."

"Just be glad I desperately want to sleep," said Phil darkly.

"Yep, I'm sure that's it," said Steve, smirking.

* * *

It was past midnight when Phil woke up again. Well, he wasn't really sure if it was midnight; the clock said 12:18, but that could have been the afternoon. His room was always dark, so he had no way of telling, and he really didn't feel up to going outside to check. His body was perfectly content laying down, resting. He didn't get to do that much, and it was pretty nice.

A few minutes later, he heard footsteps approaching his room, and sure enough, Nikki's slim figure appeared at the door, entering quietly. Phil wondered what she was doing here, and decided to pretend to sleep, to see what she had in mind. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her check his antibiotics, no doubt to see if he took them; he managed to stop himself from snorting. She then proceeded to place a cool hand on his forehead.

He was feeling slightly better, so he wanted to get her back for keeping him from sleeping earlier. Out of the blue, he raised his arm, zombie like, and grabbed her wrist. Nikki almost screamed, but Phil stopped her by clamping his other hand over her mouth. She stumbled on the bed, before he let go of her. Nikki got up, and sat by the edge of the bed, "You're mean. You scared me!"

"You wouldn't let me sleep," shot back Phil.

"Fair enough. I'll let you sleep now; it is night time, after all."

"I'm not sleepy now," mused Phil. He sat up, gingerly, "Actually, I'm sort of bored."

Nikki adjusted herself so she was sitting at the end of the bed, Indian-style, "Yeah? You have the worst timing, buddy."

"I'm the patient, and you seem to be enjoying being a nurse, so deal with it."

Nikki laughed, "I do make a pretty good nurse, don't I?"

Phil shrugged. He studied Nikki carefully, "So, would you like to explain to me why you're suddenly oh-so-nice to me."

Nikki's grin faded a little, "What, can't a girl be nice every now and again?"

"She can, but it's weird when that same girl has been giving me the silent treatment for over a month."

"You make a good point," replied Nikki. "I missed you."

"I've been right here," pointed out Phil.

"True, but it's not the same," she explained. "Things got weird, and I don't like that. I'm sorry, by the way."

Phil frowned, "What for?"

"For freaking out about the Mike thing," Nikki laughed wryly, "I still think you over-reacted, but you were doing it with good intentions. Annoying, but good."

"I'll admit to that," said Phil, smiling. "I'm sorry; I should have trusted your judgement." He chose not to explain that he might have had other reasons for acting the way he did that night, but he missed talking to Nikki, and he didn't want to make things weird again, not now that they were finally getting past it.

"Yes you should have," Nikki shrugged, "But, hey, it's done with."

"So, what exactly happened last night?" asked Phil. All he recalled was him not being able to wait until the stupid match was over and he could go home.

"Basically? You were walking to the locker room, and you just sort of collapsed," Nikki laughed. "Almost broke my back, but Mike helped me get you to the doctor."

"Mizanin? Why'd you let him?" exclaimed Phil, pretty annoyed.

"Because I needed help, and he was there?"

"Couldn't you have asked someone else?" Phil looked disgruntled. "Now I have to be nice to him."

Nikki giggled, "Don't worry, I don't think you'll be seeing him anytime soon. He's leaving tomorrow."

"More reason for me to dislike him."

"You know, I don't really get it," said Nikki, "He's not that bad; he's a bit full of himself, but so are you, Pretty Boy."

"One, I am so not, and two, stop calling me that."

"You get pretty cranky when you're sick," commented Nikki casually, looking bemused.

"I do not," stated Phil defiantly.

"Whatever you say, Punkster."

"Don't treat me like a child," he demanded, irritated.

"Then stop acting like one," retorted Nikki. She glanced at her watch, "You should get some sleep, and so should I. It's almost 1 AM."

"I don't feel sleepy," complained Punk.

"Count sheep, dunderhead," said Nikki. She slid off the bed, and made her way to the door. Just before leaving, she turned, "By the way, you'll always be a Pretty Boy."

Phil glared at her in the dark, but he couldn't help the small smile that formed on his face after she left.

* * *

_A shout out to the reviewers, as always lol._

_**EmilieCW-DXfan0119**: I had so much fun writing sick Punky lol. I hope you like it! :)_

_**MishaMuse**: Phil needs to realise the truth first lol. He's so wonderfully confused; I'm mean, I like writing him this way xD Haha, we'll see if you're right, but if you're not, I hope you like where the story heads anyway :)_

_Once again, thanks for reading, and please please review! xoxo_


	16. Chapter 16: Home Alone

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, and Vince. I only own my OC's and my ideas.

* * *

After a few days of complaining, sleeping, and just basically acting like a petulant child, Phil was finally better, and allowed to get back to work. It was Thursday, and although the doctor told him that he could go back since Wednesday, Jeremiah insisted that Phil take the rest of the week off. He claimed it was because he couldn't fit his return into storyline otherwise, but Phil and Nikki both suspected otherwise. However, Nikki chose to keep her thoughts to herself, and when Phil shared his speculations with her, she looked at him like he was a nutcase...which he sometimes was.

At the moment, Nikki and Phil were at the gym. Phil was standing a short distance away, speaking via cell phone with Maria. Nikki remembered how irritated Phil got when Steve accidently let it slip about his illness to Maria, but she attributed it to the fact that Phil was cranky almost all the time when he was sick, except the few minutes or so after he woke up from a good sleep. However, as she studied him now, Nikki couldn't help but note that Phil looked kind of annoyed as he spoke to his girlfriend. Although she felt a little bit guilty about it, Nikki couldn't help but smirk slightly at the thought.

She tried to hide the grin when Phil came back.

"You're getting soft; you can lift heavier than that, wimp."

Nikki raised an eyebrow, setting the weights down. She studied Phil, then asked, with an amused smile, "Well, someone just got some bad news." She showed a little more concern, "What's up?"

Phil sighed, "Maria wants me to come to Chicago, to spend some time with her this weekend." He looked hesitant, "I mean, I want to, since I haven't been home in a while, but I really need to train, and I have a feeling she won't be up to spending most of her weekend in the gym."

Nikki shoved Phil's arm lightly, saying, "Dude, I've said it before, I'll say it again. You need to chill out with the working out every now and then." She smirked when he rolled his eyes at her, "Go, you're always talking about how much you miss Chicago! And it's only three days, how bad can it be?"

"I suppose," replied Phil. "You want to head back home, now?"

"Why not? I think I broke a nail, anyways," commented Nikki, absently.

Phil stared at her in horror, "You did not just say that."

Nikki laughed, "What? I can be a cissy every now and then. Lay off, jerk."

* * *

At home, Nikki noticed something was up the moment they entered. It wouldn't have taken a genius to figure out, anyway; Jeremiah didn't usually pay them random visits out of the blue, yet there he was, sitting in their living room, reading something. What really stood out for her, however, was Steve; he was standing over Jeremiah's head, wearing his glasses, and holding what she could only assume was the script he was working on for the last century, it seemed. There was no trace of the easygoing smile that always graced his face; he was in full writer mode. It was pretty cool, she had to admit. But why he was showing his script to Jeremiah, out of all people, was completely lost on her.

Phil walked in ahead of her, making their presence known, "Hey." When the two guys looked up, he asked, "Am I in trouble? What's up, Jeremiah?"

Stephen looked up, smiling, "As much as it might shock you, the world does not revolve around Phillip Jack Brooks."

Nikki snorted, walking past the guys, into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. As she returned, heard Steve explaining, "Jeremiah's here to see me, so butt off."

"Why you? Don't tell me, you want to be a wrestler too?" Nikki was obviously joking, but she was still curious.

"Ha ha. No, I'm not stupid, unlike some people," replied Steve, earning himself glares from both Nikki and Phil.

He ignored them, but Jeremiah looked up at him, "You haven't told them about this?" Steve shook his head, "Why not? This is one of the best written storylines I've ever read, and I've read a lot, believe me."

Nikki and Phil both said simultaneously, "What?"

Steve sighed, explaining, "The script I was writing? Yeah, it was a bit of a storyline, sort of an application for WWE's creative team. I sent it to Jeremiah a few weeks ago, and he told me to go ahead." Steve looked flushed with excitement as he added, "They called him this morning, to ask about me."

Nikki stood up, walking over to engulf Steve in a tight hug, "Why didn't you tell us? Jerk! I can't believe this; now I _have_ to read it."

Steve laughed, before gently disentangling himself from the blonde, "I didn't know if it was any good. I mean, I've worked with some of my dad's friends with their scripts, but I've never done one all alone."

"I don't know why you would ever doubt yourself," remarked Jeremiah, "This is very well-written."

Phil, who was standing quiet for a moment, laughed, "I did not see this coming. Wow, congratulations, man."

Steve smiled, nodding, "Yeah, it's pretty awesome. But nothing's set in stone just yet; I have to go to Connecticut, tonight, and meet with some people on the creative team."

Nikki pouted, "Awwh, Connecticut! That's so close to New York!" As much as she liked not having to be around her family all the time, she was very much homesick. She missed the city, she missed Manhattan, and walking around Central Park.

"Wait...you're going tonight?" asked Phil, frowning.

Steve nodded, as Jeremiah waved a ticket around, "They had me get him a plane ticket, for tonight."

Phil's frown deepened, "That might be problematic. Maria wanted me to come down to Chicago tomorrow."

"And the problem is?" asked Steve.

Phil pointed at Nikki, "We can't leave Miss 'I was just having fun' here alone, can we?"

Nikki raised her eyebrows so high they were about to disappear under her fringes, "And why is that? I'm an adult, for God's sake, I think I'll manage a weekend alone." She turned to speak to Steve, "Don't listen to him, this is an opportunity of a lifetime! Go."

"I didn't say he shouldn't go, I meant _I_ wasn't going to go," explained Phil, looking annoyed.

"Uh-huh, because Maria doesn't hate me enough as it is," countered Nikki. "You're going too. End of discussion."

Jeremiah chuckled, "I guess it's easy to see who wears the pants in this house."

Nikki grinned, high-fiving Jeremiah, "You got it, boss man."

Phil said nothing more on the subject, although Nikki could tell that he wasn't yet convinced. Jeremiah and Steve discussed his script some more, before the older man announced that he was already late, and that his wife would hang him for it. As Steve showed Jeremiah out, Nikki flipped through TV channels, purposefully ignoring the frequent glances Phil threw her way. She knew he probably wanted to argue with her some more, but if she didn't acknowledge him, then there was nothing to argue.

Steve came back, and sat next to Nikki. She looked at him, amused by the shocked look that seemed to be plastered on his face for a while now.

"If you freeze up in shock like that in Connecticut, you won't get the job, you know," said Nikki.

Steve laughed, "I guess not, huh? I just can't believe this!"

"Hey, you've always been a good writer," said Phil, assuring.

Steve nodded slowly. He then glanced at Nikki, "Are you sure you'll be alright, alone?"

Nikki rolled her eyes, "Nooo, I'm going to sit on the kitchen table, rocking back and forth, paralyzed in fear, until you guys get back."

Steve chuckled, "I'm just saying. Maybe you can come with me; I'll get you a ticket, if you want."

"That is actually an excellent idea," said Phil, jumping on the opportunity. "You did say you missed New York; maybe you guys could stop by there."

Nikki sighed, "As tempting as that sound, I'm not going to let you pay for my ticket, and I can't really afford going home at the moment, not financially, nor mentally." She didn't fancy seeing her brother or her mother any time soon, and last she heard, her father was still doing time, "Plus, if I go, I'd want to spend a little longer than a weekend."

Phil glared at her, "Fine then, I'll stay."

"No, you won't. Dammit, Phil, I'm not a child," exclaimed Nikki. "How about this: I promise I won't go partying alone or anything like that. There, happy?"

"No," said Phil.

Steve laughed, addressing Phil, "Come on, dude, chill out. I won't stay long; I'll get the interview done with, and come straight back, so...yeah."

Phil looked very unhappy, and annoyed, as he said, "Fine, whatever, you want to let her kill herself doing whatever crazy things girls like her do to 'have fun', then fine."

"Urgghhh!" growled Nikki. "You're so annoying. I'll be fine, you can call me anytime and check for yourself. Now, go pack, and hit the road, asshole."

"You can't kick me out!" stated Phil.

"Is that a challenge?" asked Nikki, raising an eyebrow.

"Whatever," Phil stood up, making his way to his room, "Might as well do it; the earlier I am, the less annoyed Maria is."

"There we go," said Nikki.

Steve laughed, "I don't know how you two manage to go back and forth from nearly throttling each other, to being best buddies."

Nikki grinned, "It's all me, of course." She gave Steve a stern look, "Why aren't you packing, too? Come on, let's go."

Steve rolled his eyes; he must have missed the memo that informed him the little brat was now the boss around this house.

* * *

It was the second day since Steve and Phil left...well, technically, it was the third day. Nikki glanced at her cell phone; it was 1:23 AM, and she was still in the gym. For some reason, she preferred to work out later in the day, than earlier, which was why this particular gym was perfect for her, as it was open 24 hours a day. But she was kind of tired, now, so she gathered her belongings, threw on her sweater, and headed outside.

When she got here, the parking lot was full so she was forced to park her car a few blocks down. She sincerely wished she didn't, as she walked down the creepy alley, toward the parking lot where her car was. She was almost there, when the sound of footsteps behind her alarmed her. Nikki continued walking, at first, as to not draw attention to herself, but the footsteps sped up.

She screamed when a hand grabbed her arm, and a familiar voice said, "Nicole, Nicole, Nicole, I seem to...to...be seeing waaaay too much...of you, don't I?"

Nikki's heart beat slowed down, as she realised who it was. She pulled her arm away from the guy's grasp, as she said angrily, "Holy shit, Paul, you don't creep up on people like that!" Paul Jamieson was never a person she wanted to see, not now, not later, not ever. He was a bane in her existence for such a long time when she was in high school, and she really would rather not repeat that experience. The only reason she was ever polite to him in Charity Ball was Steve. She narrowed her eyes, and scrunched up her nose, "You're drunk, aren't you?"

Paul laughed, but he was staggering and slurring his words; if this wasn't drunk, Nikki didn't know what was. "Oh no, no, no, I'm so..so...sooo sober!" Paul staggered as he spoke. Nikki raised an eyebrow, as the guy said, "I had two drinks only." He was holding up three fingers on his right hand, and two on his left.

Nikki rolled her eyes, turning to walk away, "Whatever. Go home, Paul."

But, unfortunately for her, Paul wasn't on the same page. He grabbed her arm again, this time a lot harder, and said, "Only...only if you come with me..." he laughed, as she looked at him with disgust, "I know how much...how much you've always wanted me, Nicole. Isn't that right? My brother told me."

"Hmm, your brother needs to get his facts straight," commented Nikki, as she pushed him away from her, sending him staggering, only to hit the wall behind him.

He stood up, this time the drunken grin gone, and glared at her, before grabbing both her arms and slamming her body against the brick wall, "I said you have to come with me!"

Up till now, Nikki was only extremely irritated with Paul, but as her head hit the wall, she began getting a little alarmed, especially when Paul tried to force his tongue down her throat. Nikki pushed him, before delivering a kick to his shins.

That was a mistake, she realised, when he growled, kicking her, and his fingers wrapped around her throat tightly. Nikki began rapidly losing oxygen, and her vision became blurry, as her brain slowly began to lose consciousness.

* * *

**A/N: **

as always, thanks for reading and reviewing, and please please review! xoxo, Lillian (thats me in case you're confused lol) :)


	17. Chapter 17: Quiet After the Storm

_**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, Vince, or whoever THE man is lol. Point is, I DONT own them. I only own my OC's and my ideas. _

* * *

Nikki was lying down on a couch, covered with some blankets, deep asleep, with the TV on. She was blissfully unaware of anyone entering the house, or the time, or the footsteps that approached her. The man stood over her, frowning, before he gently tried to wake her up. His attempts were futile, however, so he resorted to saying loudly, "Nicole! Wakey wakey!"

Her blue eyes gingerly opened, as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. She easily recognized the living room of their house, but she hadn't realised that it was already morning. She looked up at the man; finally, she properly woke up

"Steve! Wow, you're back early, what time is it?"

Steve chuckled, sitting next to her, "It's almost noon, Blondie. I'm not early, you're obviously sleeping in."

"Oh, huh," Nikki rubbed her eyes, and stretched, "I must have fallen asleep watching that movie."

When Steve made a strange sound, gawking at her in dismay, Nikki frowned, "What? What's wrong?"

He wordlessly reached over to touch her throat gently. She winced; even the slightest touch ached. Slowly, memories of last night's encounter with Paul returned to her mind...

_Nikki felt her consciousness slip away, as the lack of oxygen took its effect, and Paul's hands stopped any blood from going to her brain. She was dimly aware of him pulling her by the throat, and dragging her around the corner; his hand loosened on her throat, but she was still not fully conscious, as he pulled away her sweater. Somehow, though, somewhere between Paul dragging her away and falling limp, unconscious, Nikki was aware that she was in trouble. Mustering up strength from God knows where, she raised her knee swiftly, hitting Paul right in the crotch._

_The bigger man let go of her, and she immediately bent, to catch a breath, and regain some oxygen, to make some sense of the situation. Unfortunately for her, Paul took this opportunity to kick her again. She fell into the concrete floor, but she managed to sit up swiftly, and attempted to kick Paul away. The idiot was too drunk to stand straight anyway, and for reasons beyond her understanding –and probably his too, judging by the level of his intoxication- he hauled her up to her feet, after he knocked her down again. Paul made to push her against the wall again, but Nikki was too quick for him, grabbing his hair and slamming his head against the wall instead. Paul fell to the floor unconscious; Nikki stared at him for a moment, as she tried to make sense of the situation, before grabbing her gym bag and running to her car. _

_She didn't know how she managed it, but she drove home safely. Once there, she took a shower, but was unable to sleep. After a few minutes of thinking clearly, she decided to call the police, to avoid this situation turning unfavourably against her, although she doubted that was possible. After that, she was still unable to sleep, and chose to watch some TV. Sometime before the sun came up, her body gave in on her, and she was drifting away._

Nikki had planned to put on something with a high neck, and long sleeves, to avoid getting the reaction she was now facing, but it was too late now. She sighed, explaining, "Before you freak out, relax. I was at the gym late last night, and on my way to the car, I ran into Paul, who was drunk out of his mind, and yeah, he was . . . he was pretty wasted." Nikki rolled her eyes, "But I got him good. And I'm fine, before you ask."

Steve raised an eyebrow, "That does not look like 'fine'." He glanced at her arms, where there were hand-shaped bruises, "Neither does that! Damn it, Nicole, why would you stay out that late?"

"I was just in the gym! It's no big deal," Nikki shrugged. "Sure, I feel sore, but it's nothing new."

"Phil was right; we shouldn't have let you stay alone," Steve looked very distressed, "I should have stayed."

"Come on, Steve, you're being silly," reprimanded Nikki. "I'm fine, see?" She stood up, but as she bent to pick up her covers, her abdomen and back, where Paul had hit her the previous night, hurt, causing her to visibly wince.

"Uh-huh," said Steve, narrowing his eyes. "Where else are you hurt?"

Nikki sighed. It was at times like these that she wished she was a skillful liar; unfortunately, she sucked at it, most of the time. "My back aches a bit, but I'm fine. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some laundry to do."

Steve watched her leave, his guilt not easing at all.

* * *

"Alright, man, thanks for letting me know," said Phil, speaking on his phone.

After he cut the connection, he frowned at the phone for a while. He had called Steve to see how his interview went, when his friend informed him that Nikki was attacked last night. Phil wasn't usually one to make check up phone calls, but he simply couldn't just sit by and do nothing after learning this, especially when he wanted so bad to jump on his car and drive back to Louisville. He glanced over his shoulder; he was in Maria's apartment, and she was still in the shower. Seeing that he probably had a few minutes before she would come out, he dialled Nikki's number; it wasn't that he was sneaking around or anything, but he would really rather not go through yet another psychotic confrontation with Maria about Nikki. Those were getting old.

"I'm not out at the bar, if that's why you're calling, Pretty Boy," came Nikki's voice, and form of greeting.

Phil rolled his eyes, smiling in spite of himself, "Why would you jump to that conclusion, now?"

"Well, why else would you call? Shouldn't you be making out with Bitchy McBitchpants, or hugging your favourite childhood blankie or something?"

Phil snorted, "I'm not really the type for blankies." His tone sobered a little, as he added, "Bars aren't the only places you shouldn't be staying out late at. Are you alright?"

He could tell from Nikki's long sigh that she figured out what was going on. "Steve called you, didn't he?" Before he could reply, she said, "Hold on." He heard her footsteps, and subsequently, her voice yelling, "Nichols, you blabbermouth! You're dead meat!" There was more silence, then, "Alright, you were saying?"

Phil laughed at her, before speaking, "You're crazy. I'm serious, though, how badly are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, just a few bruises, but I've had worse."

"That's not what Steve said," said Phil, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm going to murder him," said Nikki, annoyance evident in her voice even through the phone. "He had no business telling you anything. You're supposed to be taking a break."

"Hey, Steve's not the one at the wrong here," rationalized Phil. "You should have called me. I'm kind of upset you didn't, actually."

"I didn't because I knew this was how you'd react. I'm fine, so I don't see what the big deal is."

Phil sighed; trying to rationalize with Nikki when she was convinced she was right was difficult. Then again, he was often the same way. He couldn't help wanting her to realise how bad this was, though. Guilt and concern were eating at his insides, and if that wasn't bad enough, annoyance was also a factor as a part of him wished he didn't care that much about Nicole. He couldn't help it; the idea of her getting hurt was just wrong. He chose to change the topic, "Whatever you say. How's everything else?"

"Same old, same old. I'm dying of boredom. How's Chicago?"

"As great as ever," Phil said, smiling slightly, "I forgot how much I missed living here."

Nikki laughed, before saying, "Well, I'm glad you're having fun. I have to go, though, I'm dead beat."

"Yeah, there's a reason for that," commented Phil, sarcastically.

"Ha ha ha, shut up. Good night!"

"'Night," replied Phil, rolling his eyes, before the connection was cut off.

Maria came out just that moment, and sat next to him, asking, "Who were you talking to?"

Phil shrugged, "Just chatting with Nikki."

Maria turned to him so abruptly it almost alarmed him. There was a look of exasperation on her face, as she said, "Honestly, Phil! You're here, supposedly spending time with me, your _girlfriend_, but you can't resist calling that skank?"

Phil was honestly surprised; he hadn't meant to be suspicious or anything, and it kind of annoyed him that Maria was reacting like that. He frowned, "I was just checking on her, that's all."

"Why? It's not even your job," said Maria. "What was so important that you just _had_ to talk to her, anyway?"

At this, Phil really was fed up. He looked back at Maria angrily and shot, "Oh, you know, the usual, we were just having phone sex."

Maria's jaw fell open, as she stared at Phil in shock. It was his turn to be shocked when he realised that she actually believed him. That, to him, was just so freaking _stupid_.

"Unbelievable!" he exclaimed, as he stood up. "You believed that? How could you believe that?"

Maria realised, too late, that Phil was being sarcastic, but even so, there was still doubt in her mind, as she said defiantly, "Well why would you say it, if you didn't want me to believe it?"

Phil shut his eyes tight, trying to calm himself down, as he spoke, "I was being sarcastic, damn it." He glared at Maria; for the first time since this thing with Nikki started, he was feeling upset with her, rather than just himself. "I understand that you'd feel threatened or whatever the hell is going on in your mind, but this is just getting crazy. I can't even talk to people on the phone, now?"

"I don't mind you talking to _people_, just not her!" stated Maria.

"''That skank', as you call her, is my _friend_, and for your information, I called her because Steve told me she was attacked last night by some drunken bastard," Maria looked surprised by that piece of information, but by now, Phil really wasn't interested in hearing her apologies or whatever she had in mind. He grabbed his sweater, heading out, as he said, "I'm going for a walk."

Maria stared after Phil as he slammed the door behind him, still in shock. Somewhere between staring at the door, and changing into her pajamas, Maria knew that this was it, that this was probably the end of their relationship. The worst part, to her, was that she didn't feel sad. She felt frustrated, angry, and just . . . cold.

Maria sat and watched TV for a while. She had lost track of time, when she glanced at her watch, frowning when she realised that Phil had been gone for more than two hours. She sighed; she highly doubted that he was coming back tonight or at least any time soon. He probably went to his parents' place, or maybe to Steve's brother's apartment. Heck, Maria wouldn't be surprised if he headed back to Louisville, but she doubted that, since his stuff was still here.

Maria was in bed, by the time she heard the door open. She was just drifting to sleep, but Phil's arrival woke her up. She remained silent, even as she heard him entering the room, and sitting on the edge of the bed. It was dark, and he was silent for a while, before he spoke, "You're awake, aren't you?"

Maria sighed, saying quietly, "Yeah."

They both knew what was coming next; saying it out loud was really pointless, but it had to be done.

Phil sighed, "This isn't going to work, is it?"

Maria said nothing. Once more, she tried to look deep inside, to feel any sort of sadness, of hurt, anything at all. She came up blank.

"I'm sorry," said Phil. "I should have done this earlier, saved us both all the drama."

"It's not only your fault," Maria said, laughing humourlessly. "I knew whatever we had was over when you didn't tell me about the kiss."

Phil frowned, turning to look at Maria, a little confused, "You saw that; it was on TV, remember?"

Maria shook her head, "I meant before that, at Charity Ball." At Phil's surprised look, she added, "You didn't think I slapped her just because I saw you two dancing, did you?"

"You didn't say anything. Why?"

Maria sat up, "I wanted to, but there was a part of me that still believed we had something. I figured if you really cared about me, if you loved me, you would come clean. When you didn't, I kept telling myself that you just didn't know how. I think I was just convincing myself that we were still the same people."

"I had no idea," said Phil.

"Whatever, it's done with, now. I don't think I'll ever like her, but if Nicole is the one you want to be with, go for it," said Maria, with difficulty, more because she didn't like Nikki at all, than because she was losing Phil.

"We're just friends," insisted Phil, again. "I don't know if I want to be with her."

Maria laughed wryly, at this, "Phil, I think we can all see that you do. It's time _you_ realised this."

Phil refused to acknowledge that, as he stood up; this was so awkward. He had expected that if he were to ever break up with Maria, it would involve yelling, screaming, , it was like the end of a huge thunderstorm; it concluded with tranquil rainfall, not thunder, and lightening. He glanced at Maria, "I guess I'll be going, then."

Maria nodded, "Back to Louisville, or are you stopping at your parents'?"

He glanced at his watch, "I'm not sleepy. I think I'll start driving."

Maria nodded, "Take care."

"I will," Phil rubbed the back of his head, feeling uncomfortable, before he turned to leave. "I'll see you around."

Maria highly doubted that, but she nodded anyway. She waited until she heard the door closing behind Phil, before she grabbed her phone, and dialling a number.

"Maria?"

Maria sighed, as she spoke begrudgingly to the person on the other line, "I can't believe I'm doing this, but you need to talk to Phil, soon."

* * *

_**A/N: **Haha, I esp. loved all your reviews for last chapter! You guys are the bestest! XD Please review! xoxo, Lillian (:_


	18. Chapter 18: Finding Marcus!

_**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, Vince, or whoever THE man is lol. Point is, I DONT own them. I only own my OC's and my ideas. _

_**A/N:** So, this one's a bit of a filler chapter :/ I hope you enjoy it nonetheless! And just a fair warning, its exam time, so I'll probably be a little slow with the updating. Exams kill me x.x_

* * *

The next morning, when Nikki woke up, she felt even more sore than the other day. Gingerly she got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. As she was taking a shower, she glanced at her midsection to see how her bruises were; they looked worse than they did the other day. Her ribs and all the way down to her left side, just above her hips, were blue and black. Nikki winced, as she poked at the area with her finger. She sighed, and washed off. When she got to her room, she spent quite a while rummaging through her clothes, in order to find her turtle neck, full sleeved black shirt.

Finally, about twenty minutes later, she headed downstairs, to find Stephen turning the kitchen upside down. It looked like a tornado had stormed the place. Nikki frowned, "Steve . . . what's going on?"

Steve glanced up at her briefly, dismissing her, "No time to talk . . . I have to find Marcus." He proceeded to flip over a frying pan, and look under it, for whatever it is that he wanted.

Nikki was very much confused, "Who?"

"Judging by the frenzy that he's in, I'm going to take a wild guess and say he lost his precious 'lucky pen'."

Nikki and Steve both turned around to the kitchen's door, where Phil was walking in, looking pretty amused, as he placed his gym bag on the kitchen chair. Nikki smiled, pleasantly surprised, "Hey! Aren't you a little early?"

Phil shrugged, smiling at her, "I couldn't sleep last night, you know how it is." He approached Nikki, and hugged her warmly. He realised he might have held her a little too tightly, when she made an odd sound and pulled away abruptly. He frowned at the wince on her face. Phil narrowed his eyes, "What was that?"

Nikki tried to play dumb, "What was what?"

"That . . . you're hurt, aren't you?" asked Phil, but it sounded more like a statement than a question. "Let's see."

Nikki rolled her eyes, looking annoyed, "I'm fine, don't worry about it."

"Yeah? It didn't sound like you were fine, and that's not the type of shirt to wear in this weather, is it?"

"Urghh, now you're handing out fashion advice? Give it a break, I'm fine," insisted Nikki.

"If you're fine, then you've got nothing to hide!" countered Phil.

Realising there was no way she was getting out of the house if Phil didn't get what he wanted, Nikki practically growled, as she lifted the hem of her shirt to reveal the bruise on her left side and back.

Phil's eyes darkened visibly, as he placed a tentative hand on the bruise, removing it quickly when Nikki winced again. He looked at Steve, with menace in his eyes, "I thought you said it was only her throat and arms?"

Steve, who looked disgusted and surprised, said, "I didn't see that one; why didn't you tell me?" He was looking at Nikki, dismayed.

Nikki, who had pulled her shirt back down by now, looked annoyed, "Because I knew this was how you'd react, and I didn't want you to tell him." She pointed at Phil, glowering at him.

"This is serious, Nikki, are you sure that scumbag didn't do anything else?" asked Phil, in a mixture of anger and concern.

Nikki shook her head, "I told you, I knocked him out. He was too wasted to stand up straight, anyway." Noting the concern on both of the guys' faces, she sighed, speaking more gently, "I'm fine, you guys, seriously. The bruise looks pretty bad, and yeah, it hurts, but I mean, I'll get over it. I'm not doing any in-ring action this week, so it should be fine."

"You keep saying that, but that's not the case," Phil said, frowning deeply, torn between wanting to punch the lights out of this Paul, and trying to somehow make Nicole feel better. "You're hurt, badly, and that's saying a lot, considering what you do for a living, dammit."

Nikki ran bother hands through her hair, looking frustrated, "I really don't need this right now, Phil. Just let it go, please."

Realising how agitated this was making Nikki, Phil said, "I'm sorry, I'm just . . ." He gently pulled her by the shoulders to his chest, adding, "We're not trying to be overbearing or anything; we're just worried about you, alright? You need to be more careful."

"Duly noted," said Nikki, smiling softly.

Phil let go of her, but he still said, "I believe that's not all." He looked at her pointedly.

Nikki sighed, "I feel like I'm being searched for bombs at a freaking airport." However, she still did pull down her turtle neck shirt to reveal her throat and neck.

Phil grimaced in spite of himself; the finger marks were red and ugly, and there were even a few scratches. Despite what he just told Nikki, about calming down, his anger returned full force. He turned to face Steve, "Paul, you said? You know where he lives?"

Steve shook his head, but said, "Nah, but it won't be difficult to find out. Wanna pay him a visit?"

As Phil nodded, his expression dark, Nikki raised her hands up in protest, "Whoa, slow down, you two. No one's visiting anyone. I told you, I called the cops, they probably got him that same night. Nothing to get worked up about."

"Oh sure, nothing at all. Let's just let the drunken bastard get away with almost raping an innocent girl, right? It's all good!" said Phil angrily.

Nikki sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly, "You guys have no idea how much it means to me that you both care so much, but like I said, what's done is done, and I don't need more trouble, alright?" She looked at Phil directly, "Please."

"I'll think about it," muttered Phil, clearly not happy, but at least he was willing to acquiesce for now.

Nikki figured that was good enough, "Now, I have to go down to Wal Mart, I need a few things."

Phil nodded, standing up from the chair he just sat on a few seconds ago, "Alright, I'll come with."

Nikki raised an eyebrow, "You will? Why, do you need anything?"

Phil shrugged, "I'm sure I do, I'll figure out what once we get there."

" '_We' _are not going anywhere," Nikki placed her hands on her hips. "It's broad daylight. It's Wal Mart. How much trouble can I get into?"

"I wouldn't have guessed gyms would get you beat up, but you found a way, I'm sure you will with Wal Mart too," said Phil, his arms folded over his chest defiantly.

Nikki stared at him incredulously, "Unbelievable! I'm not a child, Brooks!" She glanced at Stephen, "A little help?"

Steve looked torn, but he ended up saying, "It is just Wal Mart."

"You said something along those lines before, and look what happened," countered Phil.

"Yes, I know, believe me, I've been beating myself up over it for the past 24 hours, but it's the morning, and if she's not back by 11 am, we'll go find her, alright?" said Steve, earning himself a thankful look from Nikki.

Phil did not look happy at all. "Fine."

"Thank you!" said Nikki, relieved. She glanced at Steve, "Did you find your pen?"

Steve, who seemed to have momentarily been distracted from the pen by Nikki's bruise, jumped, "No! I have to find him. Phillip, help me!"

"Arghh, you had to remind him, didn't you?" complained Phil, raising his arms in exasperation.

Nikki laughed, bidding them both goodbyes, while Steve went on to continue his rampage around the kitchen. As they heard Nikki's car leaving, Phil began helping his friend look for the damn pen, if only to shut him up. After a few minutes of searching, his eye fell on something; there were a bunch of papers sitting on the kitchen counter, with an obvious bump. He lifted the first few pages, and sure enough, there was Steve's pen.

Rolling his eyes, Phil said, "Did you consider checking under your pile of papers over here?"

Steve glanced at him impatiently, intending to brush him off, when his eyes fell on the pen. His entire face lit up, "You found Marcus! You, my friend, are a career saver. I could have never written another word again without him!"

Phil wanted so bad to smack Steve across the head. "For the billionth time, the stupid pen has nothing to do with how well you write. That's all _you_, as distressing as that may be."

Steve ignored him, instead looking at him with a curious expression, as he held Marcus the pen close to his chest, "Speaking of distressing, for someone fresh out of a break up, you don't look too bad."

Phil raised his eyebrow, "How do you know about that?"

"Maria called last night," Steve explained. "Said to knock some sense into your head about the situation."

Phil, wasting no time jumping to conclusions, looked annoyed, "If she wanted me to stay, she could have told me herself. I hate when people try to sneak around things like that, she was all for the break up last night!"

"Wow, slow down, buddy," said Steve, smirking, "I meant about Nikki. She seems to think you're in denial about your feelings. She actually does care enough about you to want you to be happy, you know."

"Oh . . . I know. Maria means well, but she's crazy," answered Phil shortly, hoping to end this conversation. "It's hard to be in denial about something that doesn't exist."

"Really? Because you're doing a pretty good job of it right now."

"Whatever, you're crazy too," said Phil, rummaging around the fridge for something to eat.

"Most friends aren't as protective about each other as you seemed a minute ago," pointed out Steve.

"Well, if they were, the rates of sexual assaults in this country wouldn't be so high, would they?" countered Phil.

Steve sighed. "Why is it so hard for you to admit that you like Nikki? You're not usually the type to shy away from these things! You usually go right for it."

"I'm not shying away from anything," insisted Phil. He sat across from Steve, sighing, as he attempted to explain, "Nikki and I are great friends, and I'd like to keep it that way. Hypothetically speaking, if I did have a thing for her, which I _don't_, and we attempted a relationship, and things didn't work out, then we couldn't be friends anymore."

"Why not? I'm friends with most of my ex-es," Steve frowned, "Except that psychotic one that tried to get me drunk and marry me. Yeah, not her."

Phil rolled his eyes at the memory, but said, "Yeah, well, you know my track record. I have yet to speak to any of my ex-girlfriends, and I'd rather not add Nikki to that list."

"Who says you have to break up?" countered Stephen.

"The laws of nature do, because I highly doubt I'm going to end up _marrying_ her . . . or anyone at all," replied Phil.

Steve shrugged, saying with a smirk, "I can see that happening, you and Nikki," he laughed, adding, "Man, you would make a _terrible_ husband!"

Phil looked at his friend incredulously, "Whatever, we're not talking about that." He shuddered at the thought, "Marriage is just . . . no. Which means break up, eventually."

"You, my friend, are heading into a mound of trouble," said Steve, shaking his head in exasperation. "How are you going to tell Nicole?"

Phil took a long swig of his Pepsi, before shrugging, "I don't see why I have to tell her. It's not like it matters that much to her."

Steve raised his eyebrow, "Uhhm, have you forgotten everything that's happened the last few months? I think Nikki would want to know."

"Know what?"

Steve and Phil turned their heads, to see Nikki entering the kitchen, carrying a small Wal Mart bag.

Steve grinned, turning to look at his friend, "Why don't you tell her, Phil?"

Phil sent him a dirty look, before clearing his throat, "Uhm, that . . ." his eyes fell on Steve's pen, "That I found Stephen's 'lucky' pen. Yeah, it was right under his script, or whatever those papers are."

Nikki frowned, "Oh . . . how fascinating."

"Yeah, it's very interesting," Phil said. "I can't believe he didn't think of looking there by himself." He shook his head, laughing.

"Mhm, you're acting weird," commented Nikki, studying Phil, "You're not coming down with a fever again, are you?"

Steve snorted, as Phil shook his head, "No, I'm okay."

Nikki didn't look convinced, but instead she shrugged, "Whatever you say." She fanned herself with her hand, "It's way too hot outside."

"If you weren't trying to be sneaky, and wearing that shirt, it wouldn't be," said Steve.

Nikki rolled her eyes, saying nothing, before she left the kitchen.

%% %% %% %%

Phil placed the last of Maria's clothes with the rest of her belongings in her bag, and stopped for a drink of water. She had asked him to pack up her stuff for her, and drop them off at her place whenever he went to Chicago again. Phil didn't really fancy doing that, so he was probably going to get Stephen to do it.

Just as he bent to reach for a sun dress that he missed that was lying at the bottom of the closet, he heard Nikki's voice addressing him from the doorway.

"Hmm, yellow's not really your colour. Try blue maybe?" commented Nikki. "And you would have to shave your legs. Short dress, hairy legs, not a flattering combo."

Phil folded the dress and placed it in the bag, "Eh, I think I could probably rock it. I wear less than that in the ring, after all."

Nikki laughed, "True, true." She frowned at the bag, "What's all that, anyway?"

Ah, that was the moment that he had been dreading. Phil could lie to her, and make up some story about why he was packing Maria's stuff, but he didn't like lying to anyone, much less Nicole. He rubbed the back of his head, "It's just Maria's stuff . . ." He glanced at her, speaking as casually as possible.

"Oh. Why are you packing her stuff?" asked Nikki, frowning.

"She . . . she asked me to. Yeah, she wanted a few things," replied Phil. Well, technically, he wasn't lying; Maria _did_ ask him to pack her stuff and send them.

"I knew it," said Nikki, looking distressed.

Phil frowned, confused, "Knew what?"

"That you're leaving, back to Chicago!" Nikki pouted. "Why couldn't you just tell me?"

Phil looked at Nikki incredulously, "What? Leaving? Why would you think that?"

"You're packing, you came back early, and you and Steve were talking about something while I was at Wal Mart, plus, you told me how much you missed Chicago, and how annoyed you are at OVW," Nikki explained.

Oddly enough, he could see why she would come up with that conclusion. Phil laughed, shaking his head, before placing his hands on either one of her shoulders, "I'm not going anywhere." He stepped back, explaining, "If you must know, I'm packing Maria's stuff because . . . well, we broke up."

"Don't try to trick m- wait what?"

"Why would I want to trick you?"

"Why wouldn't you just tell me that you broke up?"

Phil ran his fingers through his hair, "I didn't know how to bring it up?"

Nikki gave him a look, "'Oh, hey, Maria and I broke up' would have been good enough."

"Okay," said Phil, smirking, "Oh, hey, by the way, Maria and I broke up."

Nikki glared at Phil, before grabbing a pillow off of his bed and throwing it at his face, "It's a little too late now. You had me thinking you were leaving!"

Phil caught the pillow, and smiled at Nikki, "Why would I leave? That's just stupid."

"Oh, great. First you trick me, then you insult me," Nikki folded her arms over her chest, "You're one heck of a friend."

Phil couldn't help but glance at the finger-marks like bruises on her upper arms. He wanted to hurt that Paul guy, and hurt him badly. He glanced up at her face, "I wouldn't leave, especially not after what happened when I left the first time. You're like a walking trouble magnet."

"Urghh, you're never going to let that go, are you?" Before getting an answer, Nikki asked, sounding a little more serious, "Are you okay?"

"I'm . . . fine? Why wouldn't I be?"

Nikki rolled her eyes, "I meant about the Maria thing."

"Oh! Yeah, it could have been worse, so, yes, I'm fine."

"I'm really sorry. I should have tried harder to, y'know, stay away," she said.

Phil shook his head, "It's not your fault." When Nikki gave him a look, he amended, "Okay, it's not _all _your fault. I could have been a better boyfriend, and Maria could have trusted me more."

"Yeah, well, I didn't really help there, did I?" Nikki grimaced. The thing was, she couldn't honestly say that she regretted messing with Phil's and Maria's relationship, even if it was never really intentional. If she was completely honest with herself, the only thing she would regret would be if Phil was actually hurt or upset about it.

"Yeah, I guess we're both guilty there," said Phil, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

What was he supposed to do now? He knew what he wanted to do, deep inside; he wanted her. But there were so many obstacles, in his opinion, ahead of that. He would have to actually _say_ it, out loud, to Nikki. Then he'd have to see if she felt the same way, then he'd have to figure out how to go about being her boyfriend. Like he told Steve, it was way too much trouble. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was just making up excuses. He also knew that Nikki would probably be worth it.

"Yeah . . . I should . . .I should go now," said Nikki, not really sure what to do next. She was kind of hoping Phil would say something, anything, about them, but he didn't. She could have sworn that there was a spark there, but wouldn't Phil say, or heck, even do something? Maybe she was imagining things, maybe it was all in her head. Maybe all that happened between them was just stupid mistakes. She had hoped it wasn't, but Nikki wasn't about to throw herself at Phil if he only saw her as a friend.

"Yeah, see you later," said Phil, nodding slowly.

* * *

_**A/N:** So, Punkee obviously has issues...and lots of them lol._

_Lol, I love the mixed reactions to the break up in your reviews. But I honestly tried really hard to be fair, 'cause I personally don't see Maria as the 'bad guy'; I don't think you can really pinpoint a bad guy, everyone makes mistakes. Anywho, thanks for reviewing! And do so again, please :) _

_-xoxo, Lillian!_


	19. Chapter 19: Shopping

_**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, Vince, or whoever THE man is lol. Point is, I DONT own them. I only own my OC's and my ideas. _

_**A/N:** Not sure how I feel about this chapter lol, but hey, I'll let you all be the judges! :)  
_

* * *

"Phil."

"Yes?"

"You're breathing down my neck."

"Okay."

"Would you mind stepping away, please?"

"Sure, no problem," Phil smirked, taking a step back.

"Now would you mind getting the hell out of here?"

"Yes, I would, actually. Sorry."

The young blonde turned around to look up to him, looking very disgruntled. They were at a book store in the mall (a shocker in itself; Nikki wasn't an avid reader, after all) where Phil has been following her wherever she went since she got here, like an incredibly loyal, yet insufferably annoying little puppy. At first, it was kind of cute. Now, it was just plain irritating. She was not a child; she did not need constant monitoring and surveillance. She certainly didn't need protection. Yet, as soon as she announced, about half an hour ago, that she was going to the mall, Phil declared that since it was past 6 pm, she wasn't going alone.

"You can glare at me all you want; I told you, after 6, you're not leaving the house alone," stated Phil, not at all fazed by the blonde's anger.

"This is ridiculous!"

Nicole turned around, stomping her way out of the bookstore. Phil watched her for a few seconds, before chuckling, and following her.

"Fine, you want to come with me?" Nikki was almost spitting venom, "We're going to go shopping for pretty little dresses, and sparkly shoes, and gossip magazines, and useless makeup, and skimpy underwear!"

"Hmm, are you threatening me with a good show?" asked Phil, smirking. "'cause you know, that's only going to make me want to stay more."

"Urgh, pervert!"

"Hey, you offered; I'm just the bodyguard!"

"Go. Away." Said Nikki, through gritted teeth.

"Sorry, no can do," replied Phil.

He was thoroughly enjoying this; for some reason, watching Nikki get so worked up and agitated was kind of fun, especially when he knew he was the source of all that, and that she really couldn't stay mad at him for too long. Although she did manage to do so after the incident with Mizanin, but Phil knew the counter to that; all he had to do was get sick, or hurt. Then all would be forgiven. He didn't pause to think about the negative side effects the solution brought upon himself.

Without another word, Nicole raised her middle finger to Phil, before stalking off to some clothing store. Phil only shook his head, laughing, before he followed her.

He found her at the back of the store holding two dresses at arm's length. She glanced at him, "Which one do you think I should try out?"

"I thought you wanted me to go away?"

"Answer the effing question."

Phil chuckled, "Alright. Red is a nice colour, but the blue one would bring out the colour of your eyes."

Nikki raised her eyebrows, "Not bad, Punk." She shoved the blue dress to his chest, ordering, "Hold this while I try on that one."

Phil took the dress silently, as he followed Nicole into the fitting room area. He really didn't get what was so fascinating about shopping; it was all clothes to him.

"Why again do you need to shop for new clothes?" he asked loudly, as she closed the door behind her.

"I got paid two days ago," answered Nikki, as if that was avalid explanation.

"And?"

"And I can't just leave it there. It's calling for me; use me, Nikki, _spend_ me!" she sounded almost maniacal by now; Phil rolled his eyes, as she added, "And I like buying pretty things."

Phil shook his head, "People like you are the reason financial counsellors exist."

"Shut up, Brooks."

"Yes, ma'am."

Phil began whistling, as he stood against the wall, holding the blue dress and waiting for Her Highness to come out. Finally, after what seemed like forever, she called, "Hey, pest, come here."

Phil made no comment about him being likened to a garden creature, but instead wordlessly approached the fitting room door, poking his head in, "Yes?"

"I can't get the lace-up's at the back of this."

"Good to know," said Phil conversationally.

"I'd like some help, please," came Nikki's annoyed response.

Phil rolled his eyes, "Well, you could have said so from the start."

"Just tie the damn thing."

Phil proceeded to do as he was commanded, pulling the strings. He was about to tie it, when Nikki said, slightly out of breath, "Too tight, too tight, are you trying to kill me?"

"Damn, you caught me," he loosened the strings a little.

"Too loose, I feel like I'm swimming in it."

"You are a very difficult customer, you know," commented Phil, as he tightened it, "Better?"

"Yeah, good enough."

"Marvellous!"

"You can, uh, let go of my shoulders now," said Nikki.

There was a bit of an uncomfortable silence, before Phil slowly removed his hands, and stepped back, "Right, sorry."

"Don't worry about it," said Nicole, but Phil could swear he saw her smirking slightly. When she turned around to face him, though, she looked completely casual.

"What do you think?"

Phil looked at her, grimacing, before saying, "Don't beat me with a stick, but I don't really like the dress after all."

Nikki raised an eyebrow, successfully hiding a smirk, and said in a neutral tone, "Oh?"

"Yes. I mean, you look good, but . . . it's too," Phil waved his arms around, trying to find the right word, before settling for, "Royal-like."

"Really?" Nikki tilted her head, musing, "I think I'd make a hot Princess."

"Well, obviously . . . I mean; stop smirking," added Phil, frowning at her in annoyance.

"That's what you get for insisting on following me around, Pretty Boy," said Nikki shrugging, her smirk plastered firmly in place. Phil wanted to play difficult, well, two can play that game.

"Whatever. I told you, bodyguard."

"Uh-huh, if it lets you sleep at night," replied Nikki with an all-knowing look.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Phil defiantly. He decided that he liked her better when she was yelling at him in annoyance and threatening him with sharp objects.

"I'll let you figure that one on your own, Punkee," she was looking at her reflection in the mirror. Then, she turned to face him, "Alright, I'll admit, this does look too formal. Why don't you go pick out something for me? You seem to enjoy giving out fashion advice."

"I am doing no such thing," said Phil adamantly.

"What's the matter; afraid of hurting your '_masculinity_'?" mocked Nikki, hands on her hips. She observed him with a challenging look on her face, "You should've thought about that when you decided to tag along. Uninvited, might I add."

Phil glared at her for a while. When she didn't budge, and that annoying smirk wouldn't leave her lips, he sighed, and left, in the hunt for 'a pretty outfit', muttering to himself. Nikki's grin widened, before she returned to the fitting room, changed back to her jeans and top, and followed him.

She found him by the summer collection, holding up an orange shirt. When he spotted her, he raised it up, saying, "What do you say?"

"Hmm, one question. Do you remember a few months ago, when a certain red-headed Diva turned all my white clothes orange?" Phil frowned, before nodding after a few seconds. "Good, good. Do you remember what happened to her afterwards?"

Phil had a terrible memory, but even he could remember the night Nikki almost killed Maria by ordering her extra spicy food. He winced as the memory crossed his mind, "No orange?"

"Not if you want to keep your reproductive organs intact, no," stated the blonde casually.

Phil grimaced, "Alright, then, I'll keep looking."

After three more attempts, finally, Nikki decided to give the black tunic that Phil picked a try. She observed her reflection in the mirror, tilting her head slightly. It was a little too short to be worn separately, but nothing outrageous, at least not by her standards. The v-neck wasn't too low, just short of being too much. She didn't like it.

Nikki tightened her hair band, before emerging from the fitting room. She twirled once, asking, "What do you think?"

Phil studied her carefully; he didn't want to say the wrong thing and get in trouble. The truth was he honestly thought she looked pretty good in every single outfit she tried so far, but Nicole seemed to be picky about these things. Slowly, he said, "You look . . . lovely."

Nikki raised an eyebrow, "Lovely. Hm. I was kind of hoping for sexy, or gorgeous, or something. But I guess lovely will have to do."

Phil laughed, "Sexy's a given, though." So he was flirting a little; sue him. It was all harmless, really. Just like his insisting in tagging along with her was very innocent, and done purely for safety reasons, no other incentives whatsoever.

Nikki smirked, "Aaah, you're a smart guy, aren't you?" In the back of her mind, she decided maybe the tunic wasn't too bad.

Phil shrugged, "I like to think so."

"Hmm, I don't know, a smart guy would have picked up on the signs by now," Nikki said, leaning against the door of the fitting room.

Phil raised an eyebrow, assuming a mock-ignorant expression, "Oh? What signs are these?"

"That's for you to figure out, Pretty Boy," said Nikki, shrugging.

Phil stood dangerously close to the blonde by now, without really being aware of it. He raised an eyebrow; he knew what she was doing but he wasn't sure how he felt about it. Did he like that she was toying with him like that, or did it annoy him? Well, if he was completely honest, he knew the answer to that too, but lately, Phil has been having issues with being 'completely' honest with himself. Unfortunately -or maybe it _was _fortunate; he really didn't know- even he couldn't turn around and walk away from a pretty girl who may or may not like him whom he may or may not like back as well, when she was so obviously flirting with him. Yes, Phil's mind was a very confusing place.

"I think I have a pretty good idea." To hell with it, he thought, as he leaned forward to close the gap between him and Nikki.

It was at that moment that a loud ringtone sounded.

Nikki's eyes were torn away from Phil's face as her phone began to ring. She sighed, bending sideways slightly, and grabbed her purse, extracting her phone. A glance at the screen had her rolling her eyes, as she answered it, "Jeremiah, you always have the worst timing ever."

"What?" came the confused response.

Nikki sighed again, frustrated, "Nevermind. How may I help you?"

"Is Punk with you?"

Nikki frowned, glancing at Phil, who had not moved from his spot, "Yeah. Why?"

"I've been trying to reach him for nearly half an hour!"

"Oh," shrugging, she passed the phone to Phil. "For you."

Phil frowned, taking a small step back from Nikki, as she handed him her cell phone.

"Hey, Jeremiah. What's up?" he noticed the annoyance in his voice, and no doubt, Jeremiah would too. You really couldn't blame him, though, could you. He was this close . . . well, nevermind.

"Punk, people carry cell phones so they can be reached. I shouldn't have to resort to calling your girlfriend, should I?"

Phil coughed, as he hastily corrected him, "She's _not_ my girlfriend."

Nikki rolled her eyes, smirking, as she mouthed to him: _'I'm gonna go change.' _He nodded in acknowledgement, glaring slightly at the little smirk playing along her lips, while speaking to Jeremiah, "So, what's up?"

"I got a call today."

Phil shrugged, "Yes, you get a lot of calls; it's part of your job, remember?" He knew he didn't do anything to warrant it, but for some reason, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was in trouble.

"It was about you, you idiot. How are you liking the WWE version of ECW?"

"Uhm . . . it's good. Why?"

"Well, let's just say there's a good chance you might be their newest addition."

Phil froze for a moment, processing what he just heard. After a full minute, Jeremiah said, "Phillip, are you still there?"

"I- yeah, what?"

Jeremiah chuckled, "I got a call from the guys there, and they told me they have their eye on three of my OVW guys, one of them being you. Of course, since you seem to be more interested in ignoring me, and hanging out with lovely Nicole, I guess I'll have to recommend one of the other two. Can't blame you, though; she's very pretty, isn't she?"

"What? No, I mean, yes, she is, but . . . Jeremiah, don't you dare! I'm listening, I'm definitely interested," said Phil hastily. He wasn't about to let an opportunity like this slip right past him!

"I thought so," there was a pause, after which he said, "Well I was hoping I can get you to come down here and talk things through, but it's a little late."

"I can still come; I'd just have to drop Nikki off, and I can be there in, say, fifteen minutes?" suggested Phil eagerly.

"It's my son's birthday, and my wife will kill me if I miss dinner. Sorry. But don't worry, I'll give you a call tomorrow morning. Keep your cell phone on, for god's sake."

Phil laughed, still in a state of disbelief, "Yeah . . . yeah, sure." With that, Jeremiah hung up.

"Is everything alright?"

Phil stared at the phone, then up at Nikki when she emerged from the fitting room, wearing her sweater and jeans, frowning.

"I think I just got offered a contract with ECW."

* * *

_**A/N:** Who knew shopping could be so fun? Well, I did, as do most girls, but . . . whatever :P You get the point, I hope haha :)  
_

_Hope you guys enjoyed it! It was a little lighter, 'cause, well, a little breather every now and then is fun, no? Please review, and let me know what you think!  
_

_-xoxo, Lillian!_


	20. Chapter 20: Goodbye, Hello

_**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, Vince, or whoever THE man is lol. Point is, I DONT own them. I only own my OC's and my ideas. _

_**A/N:** So, I'm trying something new. It's 2st person, from Nikki's POV, however, there are some italicized parts that are 3rd person. Hope it's not too confusing!_

* * *

_**Nicole's POV**_

"Nicole! What are you doing here?"

I turned around, as I heard an all too familiar voice calling my name. I bit back a groan as I recognized the familiar face. I was not in the mood for this. At all. I glanced over at Stephen's body lying on the hospital bed, doctors surrounding him, and sighed.

This had not been the best day so far.

**% % % % %**

I skipped down the stairs two steps at a time, which did nothing to ease my thirst, but hey, I wasn't too concerned. In the kitchen, I grabbed a bottle of water, taking a big swig, before grabbing another one. On my way back upstairs, I spotted Steve glaring at his cell phone in the living room. Uh oh. Usually that didn't mean good things for whatever poor inanimate object in his hands.

Smiling bemusedly, I took a few steps back, "What's with you?"

Steve glanced up at me, obviously distracted, then back at his phone, "That was my dad. He's bugging me about this stupid movie project he wants me to do." He shook his head, changing the subject, "But that's nothing new. Is Punk done packing?"

"Almost, I think," I replied, my smile fading slightly.

Steve had an all-knowing grin on his face, "It's finally dawning on you, isn't it? That he's leaving?"

I laughed, "No, not really, but I'm still a little surprised."

"Yeah, we all are. I mean, he's good and all, but it sort of came out of nowhere."

"You're telling me," I muttered, a little upset. It's not that I didn't want Phil to go out and live his dream, I really did, but it was a little disheartening, considering how close he was to finally admitting that there might be more to our friendship than meets the eye.

"You don't want him to leave, do you?" asked Steve, with a sympathetic look.

"No, no, it's not that, it's just . . . nevermind." I looked away, embarrassed that I was so easy to read.

"You do know he can probably make it work, right?" pointed out Steve.

I frowned, a bit confused, "What do you mean?"

"Long distance relationship; Phil's been through a lot of those, he's an expert," said Steve, smiling.

"That's good to know, but I don't think you and I are on the same page."

"Is that so?" In an undertone, Steve added, "That's not what Phil said."

I narrowed my eyes, "You guys talked about me, didn't you? What did he say to you?"

Steve chose that moment to grab his keys and start backing away toward the door, "I said nothing; in fact, I was never here." Winking, he left.

I stared after him, in a mix of annoyance and curiosity. I sighed, as I fell back on the sofa, pouting. It was almost three weeks since the day at the mall where Phil got the call from Jeremiah, and already, everything was so different. It seemed as though in the few minutes after we had almost kissed to when he told me about the ECW thing, everything changed. After that, suddenly, I wasn't so sure I wanted to keep on pushing Phil to admitting that he liked me. Instead, I had gone on to pretend like nothing happened at all, and I was relatively fine doing that, but Steve just _had_ to ruin it. I shut my eyes tight, and rested my head back against the sofa.

"Are you okay?"

I jumped at the sound of the voice right over my head, and looked up at Phil in mild surprise.

"Hey, yeah, I'm fine," I raised an eyebrow, "I think you're part vampire, or something; I didn't hear you come down!"

Phil shrugged, smirking, as he sat on the arm of the sofa, "Sorry. I'll be sure to make more noise next time."

"Good. Are you done packing?"

Phil nodded, "Yep. Now I wait for the next six hours, doing nothing." He looked at me witha grin, "Now would be a good time for your so-called 'fun' ideas."

I laughed, "Sorry, fresh out of those." I glanced at Phil briefly, considering bringing up what Steve had just mentioned, but decided against it.

Unfortunately, Phil appeared to have noticed my pensive look. He frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Why do you ask?"

"You look like you have something to say."

"Nope, nothing at all," I made sure to carefully avoid eye contact with Phil, because I knew what a terrible liar I usually was. Instead, I grinned brightly, "Come. I'm not sure I trust your packing skills."

"I'm an excellent packer, I'll have you know. Been doing it on a regular basis for almost eight years," he said, defending himself.

**%%%%%**

We spent the better part of the next half hour chatting aimlessly about random things, but Phil didn't appear to mind too much.

I was looking through a bunch of papers Phil said he intended to throw out, when I came across one that held my interest. I studied it, with an impressed look on my face, before glancing at Phil, "I didn't know you could draw."

"Huh? What?" he asked, frowning. I waved a piece of paper with a sketched design. "Oh, that; hey, that's not garbage, why is it there?" He was speaking more to himself than to me, it seemed.

"It's really good," I looked up at him with curious eyes, "Since when are you an artist?"

Phil shrugged, "I don't call myself an artist; it's something I did a lot during high school, even after, but I haven't really had the time lately. It's not that great."

I shook my head, "It's beautiful."

_Phil watched her with curiosity as she studied the sketch intently, seemingly lost in thought. She wore that same pensive look she had before when they were in the living room. It was oddly striking, yet depressing at the same time. Instead of interrupting her this time, he opted to leave her with her thoughts, hoping that would get her to talk._

_He was right._

After a few minutes, I looked up at him, "Can I ask you something?"

Phil shrugged, with a small half grin on his face, "You just did, but go ahead."

I took great care in phrasing my question, "Say you were at some sort of store, or something, and you saw this rare, exquisite piece of art, and you just _had_ to have it. You also found out that someone owned it before you, not too long ago. But it was being offered to _you_, for free practically; would you take it, or would you be too concerned that you may never live up to the standards of its previous owner?"

_Phil had to take a moment to make sense of what she had just said. Yeah, he got the question, but it took him a while to figure out that Nicole might not be necessarily speaking about a literal artwork._

He frowned, "Sounds like a lot of thinking for getting an artwork, if you ask me."

I smiled, "Well, would you? Wouldn't you worry that you may never do it justice, that you may never be as good as the last person?"

Phil shifted closer to me, and attempted to hold my gaze, "I think I would take the risk. I'll never know if I don't try. Plus, I think if it's being offered to me, obviously there must be something about me that makes me worth it."

"But what if you're not sure, what if you just want a little time to sort out your thoughts?" I cursed myself mentally, as I noted how desperate I sounded by now.

"Then I'll hope that the offer is still valid, even after I've taken the time to think about it," Phil smiled, "I think it would be. Whoever is offering couldn't be that hasty."

"It would be sort of selfish, though, wouldn't it? You can't expect the artwork to just sit there and wait for you; there are other people who might take an interest in it."

"If the person offering it to me really does believe I'm the right person, they'll wait," Phil responded firmly. "They won't have eyes for anyone else."

"But. . ." I began to speak, before Phil cut me off.

"I don't think your problem is the artwork itself, per se," he gave me a pointed look, which I attempted to ignore. "I think you're afraid of _having_ the artwork, because it's so different, something new, and you're scared it might hurt you."

"I . . . no, that's not it."

"If you say so," Phil gave me a bit of a hurt look. "You should know that I wouldn't ever hurt you."

I assumed a defiant expression, "We're talking about the piece of art here."

"Yes, right," Phil rolled his eyes, "My apologies."

"It's cool."

_There was a moment of awkward silence where neither of them wanted to be the first to say anything, to speak of what was really going, of what Nikki was really asking when she made up her art piece story. Phil was a little hurt and insulted that Nikki would ever think he could even dream of hurting her; she should know better. You'd think playing bodyguard ever since she got attacked would have delivered the message!_

**% % % % %  
**

It was time. I sat in the car, waiting for Phil, as we stood outside of Jeremiah's house. Steve had already made plans to work with Jeremiah on some business stuff, before he knew Phil was leaving that day, so he wasn't coming with us. I sincerely wished he was, just this one time. I didn't want Phil to go, as selfish as that may sound, but at the same time, I wanted him to be happy. I sighed, resting my head against the stirring wheel. How long does it take for guys to bid each other goodbye? If I didn't know better, I would question their sexuality.

Fortunately for me, Phil finally appeared out of Jeremiah's house. He got in the passenger seat, and glanced at me with a sheepish smile, "Sorry I took so long. There was a match on TV."

I rolled my eyes, "I should've known. You're going to miss your flight, Pretty Boy," I grinned, adding, "Not that I'd mind too much."

Phil laughed, before he said, "You could always come with?"

"Oh yeah, and risk losing my current contract?" I pretended to think, as we neared the airport, "I don't think so."

"Eh, it was worth the shot," Phil said, grinning,

I glanced at him, but made no comment. Why couldn't he have been this flirtatious a few weeks before he got the call? Things could have been so different. I might have even . . . well, there was no use thinking of that now. I held back a sigh, as I parked outside the airport.

I kept quiet as I helped him take his luggage out. We chattered aimlessly, as we so often did, all the way inside, and as he went through the procedures. All the while, I was dreading the moment, I was dreading the cool, emotionless voice that announced his flight was boarding. I didn't want him to go.

But, alas, you don't always get what you want, and I knew this very well, especially when his flight was announced to be boarding.

We both stood up simultaneously, and I tried to be hide how I was feeling inside. I think, for once, I actually succeeded, because I knew that Phil would want me to be happy for him. I smiled, as he looked down on me, and said, "Well, time for you to go take the WWE universe by surprise, isn't it?"

He grinned at me, "You know it," a bit of an uncertain look graced his features, as he asked, "I am allowed a goodbye hug, aren't I?"

At this, I felt slightly bad, because I had been putting such a distance between us over the last two or so weeks.

I grinned, going into his arms, and said, "I'm not going to see you for a while. I fucking _demand_ a hug, Pretty Boy."

He laughed, as he held me against his chest. When he pushed me away, holding me by my shoulders, he had a more serious expression, as he said, "By the way, I do believe that art piece is going to be waiting, for as long as it takes the person to make a decision."

I smiled softly. It made me feel warm inside, hearing him say that, as stupid and cheesy as it may be. I stood on my tip-toes, giving Phil a light peck on the lips, before stepping away. "That's good to know. But I don't think the person would ever ask that of it." I grinned, as Phil began walking away, and waved, "Go get them, Punkster."

I stood alone for five minutes longer, before sighing and heading back to my car. I was supposed to stop by Jeremiah's place because his wife wanted me and Steve to stay over for dinner, and because it was me who drove Steve there in the first place, so he had no ride home.

When I got there, I have to say, I think I deserved an academy award. I was pretty much bored to death, and I wanted nothing more than to go home, get a whole lot of cookie dough ice cream, and watch Pirates of the Caribbean. It was my favourite movie, don't judge. It wasn't that I didn't like Jeremiah and his family; oh no, they were some of the nicest, sweetest people I've ever met. His son and daughter were so adorable, and they reminded me of my niece and nephew. That, coupled with Phil leaving, sort of put me on a blue mood, but fortunately, nobody noticed. Well, maybe Stephen, but he was smart enough not to mention anything, even as we drove back home.

I don't exactly remember how it happened, because neither of us was distracting the other, and the streets were pretty much empty, but it did happen, and all it took was ten seconds, for that entire night to change.

The blue car came out of nowhere –literally. All I knew was that one second Steve was driving as the traffic light turned green, and the next thing I knew was my red Volkswagen was twirling around the street, going off the road, and hitting a tree, full force. There was chaos, there was screaming (I wasn't exactly sure where that came from; was it me?), but somehow I managed to get myself out of the car. I looked around for Stephen, and realised with horror that he was still in the car that might just explode. A few other people stopped and came out to help, and somehow, we pulled Steve out. A crowd was already forming; two crowds actually. One was surrounding me and Steve, the other surrounding the other car.

I had never felt more relieved to hear sirens than I did that night, when the police and the ambulances arrived. The EMT's approached me and began asking me all sorts of questions. It was sort of like an out of body experience; I was obviously giving them coherent answers, but I wasn't exactly sure what I was saying. All I knew was that one of them checked me over quickly, and declared that I was fine for now, and instead, they focused on Stephen. Thank God for that, because he wasn't moving. In a matter of a few minutes, they hauled him into the ambulance, as another EMT escorted me in as well, muttering something about making sure everything was okay.

At the hospital, I sat in the emergency room, just outside the room where they were taking care of Steve. A nurse had already stitched up my forearm, which was apparently bleeding (I had not noticed until she mentioned it).

I was carefully feeling my other arm, where a bruise was forming, when I heard his voice.

My brother, Jake.

"Nicole! What are you doing here?"

I turned around, and bit back a groan as I recognized the familiar face. I was not in the mood for family drama. At all. I glanced over at Stephen's body lying on the hospital bed, doctors surrounding him, and sighed.

This had not been the best day so far.

I looked up at Jake, as he approached me, frowning, "Nicole? What happened to you?"

"Hey, Jake! It's nice to see you too," I said, giving him the brightest smile I could muster.

"Yeah, whatever, what are you doing here in Louisville?" he asked me.

I stared at him in disbelief, wondering if he was just kidding. What was I doing here? What the hell? How could he not know? He practically funded my move from Manhattan to Louisville in the summer. Of course, things went downhill after that, but come on! He had to have known at least where I was.

"Please tell me you're kidding," I said, laughing in disbelief.

"But I'm not," Jake stated, in that matter-of-fact-ly voice he used so well.

"I live here, been doing so since, I don't know, July?" I said, rolling my eyes. I frowned, as I remembered that _he _was the one who wasn't supposed to be here, "What are you doing here?"

Jake shrugged, "Hannah collapsed on me. We were just driving back from her parents' place."

Hannah Evans, my brother's oh-so-lovely wife. Not. Hannah and I never got along; I wasn't sure why she didn't like me, but I knew why I despised her. She stole my brother from me. But that was beside the point. I attempted to sound genuinely sympathetic, as I asked, "Oh, is she alright?"

Jake rolled his eyes, noticing, no doubt, my failed attempt at sincerity, "She's fine, she's . . ." A curious look appeared on his face. Was that actually happiness? That was a rare occurrence, especially when I was around Jake, believe me. "She's pregnant, actually."

"Oh my god! Wow, Jake, congratulations!" Maybe it was because I actually did care about my brother, or because it had just been too long since I've seen him, but when I hugged him after he told me this, I was actually kind of glad he was there.

Of course, all nice moments must come to an end.

"Uhm, Miss Valentine?"

I turned around to see a guy around my brother's age in a cop's uniform speaking to me.

"Yes, that's me."

"Hi. I'm Owen Jones, the officer called for your accident, and," the man appeared uneasy, as he glanced at the papers. He looked up to me again, "I'm afraid I have some disturbing news for you."

I frowned, "Oh?"

The officer sighed, as he explained, "The other car involved in your accident was actually a car that was reported stolen a few days ago. We've been searching for it, with no luck, but the license plate, the description, and everything. That was the car."

"Oh, well, that's good news then, isn't it?" I said, not entirely sure where the disturbing part was, "I mean, you caught the person?"

"That's the thing. There was no one in the car. Whoever was driving it was hiding in the nearby trees, waiting, we found tracks, and they left right after the impact."

"Wait," I was beginning to understand, "You mean . . . they were waiting . . . for us?"

Officer Jones looked at me gravely, "Miss Valentine, that was no accident. Someone wanted you and your friend hurt –or worse."

* * *

_**A/N:** first off, sorry about the wait! Exams + moving + dead muse = lag in writing lol. But I'm back now, and hopefully I'll have the next update up soon! _

_Secondly, how'd you guys like it? I wasnt sure about the 1st person thing, I'm usually a 3rd person writer, but I figured I'd try something new lol  
_

_Please review! _

_-xoxo, Lillian!_


	21. Chapter 21: Conflicted

_**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, Vince, or whoever THE man is lol. Point is, I DONT own them. I only own my OC's and my ideas. _

_**A/N:** As you can see, I'm still experimenting with styles lol. Read & Review please :) :)_

* * *

**Jake's POV**

I watched Nicole's face pale, as the police officer explained what had happened, and I couldn't help but feel concern. After all, for the longest time, I was the only person looking after her. That was before I found out the truth, before I got married; I have other people to care for now, I reminded myself, much like Hannah, my wife would have done. It's not that I don't care for my sister anymore; it was more like I didn't feel like I should be the one bearing her responsibility, always watching over her. She had parents, and I wasn't them. Heck, one of them wasn't even her biological parent, after all. That was probably the turning point in my relationship with her, when I found out that she was actually only my half sister. Nicole doesn't know, of course, and she doesn't understand why I feel justified in resenting her most of the time. That, and the fact that I couldn't really connect with her; she was what, twelve years younger than me? When I was younger, too often I felt like she was taking over my life.

But tonight wasn't the right time to dwell on those thoughts. I tried to think of the good times, to remember that she _was _still my little sister, and she might have just escaped an attempted murder.

I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she appeared startled by that. I opened my mouth to say something –I'm not entirely sure what, just something- but I was interrupted by a doctor emerging from the door across from where we were standing.

"Are you with Stephen Nichols?" he asked Nicole. She silently nodded, before he lifted the clipboard in his hand, and explained, "Well, I have to say, your friend got off lucky. The EMT's told me the accident was pretty bad."

Nicole appeared to be a little too overwhelmed by everything to speak, so I volunteered, "Is he going to be alright?"

The doctor spared me a glance, before answering, "He's fine; just quite a number of bruises, a broken arm, and obviously, a concussion."

Nicole and I gave him the same expression of disbelief. All that, and he was 'fine'? I almost laughed; I supposed when you work in an emergency room, you see worse stuff. I glanced at my watch, as the doctor informed Nicole of what she needed to do to take care of whoever this Stephen guy was. Once she was done, she turned to me, looking awkward.

"So, I guess you and Hannah are heading home now?" she asked, playing with her hair.

"No, I think we'll have to stay for the night, in a motel or something," I rubbed the back of my head, unsure what to say exactly. After all, my last long conversation with Nicole was about how costly it was for me having her pursue her little wrestling dream. I still didn't think she was going to go anywhere with that, but now that she was taking care of herself, well, it wasn't any of my business.

Nicole nodded, "Are the twins with you?"

"Yeah, they're with Hannah, down in that room," I pointed to the direction of the room my wife and kids were at. I was a little hesitant to tell her that, because I knew she'd ask to see the twins, and Hannah wouldn't like that.

True to my expectations, Nicole's face lit up, "Can I come see them please?" No doubt noticing the uncertain look on my face, she added, "I'll behave, promise."

I rolled my eyes; as if it was that simple. Nicole's mere presence was going to aggravate an already irritated Hannah, but I figured I probably wasn't going to see Nicole for a while, so I took the risk. "Alright, come."

"Yay!"

I nearly fell backwards when she jumped on me, practically suffocating me. "Dear god, Nicole, you're not five anymore, you know."

I knew what she was doing; she was trying to distract herself, to avoid panicking. Nicole always did that, whenever things got too much. It was one of the qualities that I'd often pointed out that she needed to get rid off; running and hiding from reality doesn't do any good, but I had long accepted that not everyone, especially not Nicole, was asrealistic and smart as I was. Call me arrogant, but it was the truth.

She jumped off of me, grinning, "Sorry." She glanced over her shoulder, before speaking to me again, "Hey, Steve's up, do you mind if he tags along?"

I glowered at her, but said nothing, which I knew she would interpret as a yes. With that, she rolled her eyes, and left. I sighed, leaning against the wall behind me, as I watched my sister speak with her friend. I had completely forgotten that she was living here, and even then, what were the odds of the two of us being in the same place at the same time? That, in my opinion, is proof that someone up there has it out for me. The thing was, Nicole and I have an odd, ticking bomb type of relationship; we can be very pleasant, the closest of friends one moment, but a single little word or action, and we're back to the yelling, arguing, and insults. Obviously, the latter happened much more frequently.

Finally, Nicole came back, assisting her friend. She glanced at me, before saying, "Oh, Jake, this is Steve; he's one of my roommates," she paused, before adding, "Well I guess now he's my only roommate. Steve, this is my brother, Jake." I didn't bother trying to figure out what that meant; what she did with her life wasn't my problem, as long as she didn't drag me in.

The guy looked quite surprised to find out who I am; he had a strange look on his face. Somehow, I think Nicole might have told him a thing or two about me. Whether that was good or bad depended on her mood when it happened, but I was willing to bet it was bad. Well, it wasn't like I minded too much, anyway; I've said and done just as bad as she has.

"Nice to meet you," I extended my hand for Stephen's healthy arm, adding, "Sorry about your accident. Hopefully they catch the guy before anything else happens."

"What?" asked Stephen; I frowned, glancing at Nicole, who had an odd expression on her face. She hadn't told him, I realised. Typical!

"Uhm, it's nothing," she said, "I'll tell you later. Now let's go see the twins."

"And Hannah," I said, "Behave."

"Right, right, I'll keep that in mind," said Nicole grudgingly.

I sent Nicole a warning glare, before putting on my 'perfectly apologetic husband' face, and opening the door to the room Hannah and the kids were in.

**%%%%%%**

**3****rd**** person**

It was just past midnight when Nicole and Stephen stepped out of Jake's car. As Steve left the car, Nicole felt torn. She felt like she should say something; this was her brother after all, and she hadn't seen him since the last summer. Yet, as she glanced at him, she didn't really know what to say. Instead, she settled for saying quietly, "Thanks, Jake. You didn't have to drive us, you know."

Jake looked just as awkward and unsure as she felt, as he shrugged, "It's just a ride." He glanced at the backseat, where his son was sleeping. He had refused to stay with his mother in the motel room they were staying at, "Plus, Aaron missed you."

Nikki smiled, glancing at her nephew lying asleep on her lap. She gently set him down on the backseat, before kissing the top of his head softly, and exiting the car. Out of the window, Jake looked at her, before calling, despite his better judgement, "Nicole." She looked back at him curiously. He sighed in annoyance, as he spoke, "Don't be the airhead I know you usually are, and take care of yourself, alright?" Jake looked her in the eye, and she couldn't remember the last time she saw a trace of genuine concern and worry in his eyes, at least not directed to her, like she was seeing now.

Realising that this was as close to a sincere sentiment as she was going to get tonight –and possibly in a very long time- Nicole smiled, nodding. "I'll keep that in mind. Say goodbye to Alaina and Hannah for me!" Jake nodded, and he looked like he was going to say something else, before waving and driving away.

Nicole sighed; it had been one exhausting, roller coaster of a night. It felt as though it was ages since she was bidding Phil goodbye in the airport. She went inside the house, and fell on the couch next to Stephen tiredly. Both were feeling the effects of the accident, aching all over, Steve more so than Nicole, obviously, yet neither wanted to go to bed just yet. Still, Nicole stood up with her hands on her hips, as Steve made to turn on the TV, glaring at him pointedly, "You need to go to bed and sleep."

Stephen sighed, rolling his eyes, "Come on, I feel fine."

"Lies and slander," said Nikki, with a little smirk, "Come, you'll thank me tomorrow. You need rest."

Steve grumbled, knowing that this was a battle he would not be winning. He turned off the TV, looking at her with a raised eyebrow, as he asked, "You still didn't tell me what really happened. What was your brother talking about, before we went to see his family?"

Nicole tensed up; she didn't want to worry Steve right now, but there was no point delaying it anymore, she supposed. The blonde sighed, taking a seat next to Steve, as she spoke, wording everything carefully, "Uhm, see, the police went and investigated the accident, you know, took a look at the cars, and stuff, and, well, they didn't find the person driving the other car."

Steve looked mad, "I got my arm broken in a frigging hit and run? Seriously!"

Nikki grimaced, "No, no, not exactly. Well, sort of." Steve sent her a questioning look; Nicole sighed, and decided to just come out and say it, "It wasn't an accident, Steve. Whoever hit us meant to do just that. The police said the car was recognized as one that was stolen a few days ago, and that there were tracks in the forest next to the road. Whoever it was, he or she was hiding and waiting."

Steve looked dumbfounded. After a while, he spoke, "Crap, that is not good."

Nicole couldn't help but laugh at his response, even if it was a nervous, uncertain kind of laugh, "Yeah, no, not really."

Steve used his healthy hand to run his fingers through his hair, "Do they have any idea who it was?" Nikki shook her head, "Oh man, Phil's going to freak." Nikki appeared to be startled; Steve glanced at her, "What? You didn't think about that?"

Nikki shook her head slowly, "I was a little overwhelmed, what with you unconscious and my brother and everything."

"Speaking of your brother," Steve said, looking curious, "I expected him to be an unpleasant grouch."

Nikki laughed, glad for the subject change, "He's got his moments. Plus, he's a lawyer; they need to put up a good, calm front in public. And it helps that he had just found out he's going to be a father for the second time."

"Yeah, I can imagine," Steve studied Nikki carefully. He could see that she was preoccupied, whether with the 'accident', Phil, or her brother, he wasn't sure. When he saw a bit of a wistful look on her face, he guessed that it had to be one of the last two. Wanting to give her the private time she obviously needed with her thoughts, he said, "Well, I'm dead beat, and since I can't watch TV, I guess I'll go sleep."

Nikki was snapped out of her thoughts, as she grinned at Steve, standing up and helping him, "That's the spirit. I have a feeling you'll be a much more cooperative patient than your bestie was."

**% % % % % %**

Outside, among the bushes near the house, crouched a dark haired man. His eyes kept flickering to the house; they weren't home yet. What was taking them so long? Finally, after what seemed like ages, he spotted a car stopping right in front of the house. The guys came out first, with his arm in a sling. The dark haired man smirked in satisfaction at that. But where was the girl? He frowned slightly, but after a few minutes, she emerged, bending over the window to talk to the driver of the car. The man wasn't entirely sure who that was, but it didn't matter; he did what he had set out to do. They were on their edges now.

The car drove off, and the girl stood outside on the porch by herself. The man contemplated attacking her right then and there, she was so vulnerable, just standing there, with only a man with a broken arm to protect her. It was all too tempting, but it wasn't the right time. He had to do it at the most unexpected moment, and that wasn't it.

All that was left was to sit and wait, and pick them off one by one; it really was too bad the second guy and the redheaded bimbo weren't around anymore. But he wasn't worried; patience was a virtue he had learned to acquire the hard way, and he was going to make use of it.

* * *

_**A/N:** Just wanted to say I love the reactions i got for last chapter lol. So, who do you guys think the person trying to get them is?_

_What did you guys think of Jake? He's one of the more complex charries. Nikki's family's messed up, I can tell you that much ;)_

_And for all the anxious souls out there, I promise, Nikki and Punky will get together. It's more fun to put obstacles though :P_

_Please review! _

_-xoxo, Lillian!_


	22. Chapter 22: Welcome Back!

_**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, Vince, or whoever THE man is lol. Point is, I DONT own them. I only own my OC's and my ideas. _

* * *

"Valentine."

The blonde tapped her foot impatiently, glaring at her phone, as she sat in the girls' locker room, oblivious to her surroundings. It has been too long since her phone buzzed. She had nothing to do but wait for her match; forty minutes of nothingness. It was excruciating.

"Valentine."

The phone buzzed, after what seemed like eternity; the blonde's face brightened, as she opened the text message.

"Damn it, Nicole, I'm trying to talk to you!"

With a silly smile on her face, Nikki looked up at another blonde woman standing over her head. Her smile faded a little when she noted that Michelle McCool, her newest friend and the latest addition to the OVW diva's, was not happy.

"Hi?"

"Good god, girl," Michelle shook her head in disbelief, before glaring at Nikki's phone. "That was Punk, wasn't it?"

Nikki put down her face, and shook her head, although her face told a different story, "Nope. It's Mike."

Michelle and Nikki began a staring contest, the former looking at the younger girl in suspicion. Michelle extended her hand, "Let me see."

Nikki looked at her incredulously, "Why? It's _my_ phone, thank you very much. I can do whatever I want with it."

Nikki and Michelle stood up, the former backing away slowly. Michelle's eyes narrowed, "Nicole, give me the phone. If you're telling the truth, you have nothing to hide!"

Nikki simply shook her head, and turned around. She barely took one step, before she felt the other girl's body on top of hers, sending her sprawling flat on her stomach on the floor.

"Hey! You psychotic bitch, get off me!"

Nikki half-yelled, half-laughed at the hilarity of the entire situation. However, the humour was gone once Michelle possessed Nikki's phone, and held it high above the other girl's reach, as she got comfortable on her back. Nikki struggled, but Michelle was simply too strong for her. With a sigh, she propped herself up on her elbows, waiting for the other blonde to start her teasing and taunting.

"Aha! It was so Punk!" exclaimed Michelle gleefully, pleased that she was right. After reading the text, she glanced at Nikki with a disgusted look on her face, "Are you seriously kidding me? That was the cheesiest text I've ever read! I don't know what you see in that guy; I couldn't stand to be his girlfriend for a day."

Nikki rolled her eyes, explaining for what felt like the millionth time, "Phil and I are not dating." She shrugged, to the best of her ability with a 25 years old woman on her back, "We're just really close friends. Now get off my back, psycho!"

Michelle laughed, obliging, and even lending Nicole a hand to stand up. Once they were both up, she handed Nikki her phone back, saying pointedly, "By the way, sooner or later, you'll admit that you are indeed dating him."

Nikki threw her hands up in frustration, "There is nothing to admit! God, what part of nothing don't you people understand?"

"Are they going at it again? Michelle, I told you, Nikki's a lost cause."

Nikki and Michelle turned to see Valerie, one of the chattiest girls in the locker room, enter. Upon seeing her, the conversation they were having was momentarily forgotten, as they both grinned widely. Just yesterday, Nikki heard that Valerie's boyfriend, another wrestler here at OVW, had proposed to her. Michelle and Nikki approached her, the former wrapping her in a hug.

"Congratulations!" Michelle said, pulling away slightly, "When were you planning on telling us?"

Valerie turned a nice shade of red, and began chatting with Michelle. After Nikki got a chance to offer her congratulations, she sat and watched her colleagues chat and gossip about the proposal. She let her mind drift away; it was funny how a few months ago she couldn't really hold a conversation with any of these girls, but things have changed a lot since then. It turned out that not every single female is a snobby bitch who thinks she's better than you like her old school mates in New York. They also weren't all jealous, freaky girlfriends of the man who was supposed to only be your trainer but has become just a little bit more than that. Nikki truly was astonished. So far, Michelle had been the one she got along with the most, since her arrival here two months ago. It did help that Michelle was also a bit of a snarky bitch with a good heart, as well as a woman who had some experience with working for main WWE brands.

A knock on the door jerked Nikki away from her thoughts, and she looked up as Jeremiah poked his head in. His eyes fell on her, as he said, "Your match is next," she frowned, so he added, "We did some rescheduling, you're okay with that, right?"

Nikki rolled her eyes, "Yeah, sure. I'll be right out."

**%%%%%**

After she changed out of her ring gear and gathered her belongings, Nikki made her way outside to wait for Steve. A few weeks after the accident, after his arm was better, Steve had taken to driving her to and from work. Nicole had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't doing that out of his own accord. It wasn't that she doubted his concern for her safety, but there was one more person who kind of got carried away.

It took the three of them, Nikki, Stephen, and Jeremiah, on a three-way call, to convince Phil Brooks not to turn right around and back on the same plane that took him to Philadelphia the day after their accident. Nikki had intended to keep the alarming part from him until he was back, but Steve didn't think that was such a good idea. And now, because her car was apparently beyond repair, once his cast was off, Steve had suddenly expressed a deep desire to drive her to and from work everytime. Not only that, but while his arm was healing, he often would come with her on the bus because he 'had some business with Jeremiah'. Yes, Nikki knew she wasn't the brightest girl around, but she wasn't that stupid.

The weather outside was starting to get really humid; it annoyed Nicole to no end. As she fanned herself with her hand, she spotted Steve leaning against his car, talking to none other than Michelle. She narrowed her eyes; judging from the annoyed expression on her roommate's face, and from Michelle's posture (she had her hands on her hips), they were arguing again. She rolled her eyes as she neared them; ever since Michelle and Steve met, they bickered endlessly, about anything and everything. Nikki suspected there was more to it, but she highly doubted either of them realised that.

"And I'm telling you, I don't usually pick on superstitions, but that freaking pen did not save your life, you dunderhead!" said Michelle, flushed with frustration.

"Excuse me, but I don't remember asking your opinion," responded Steve, with his nose in the air, "And his name is Marcus."

Nikki chuckled as she reached the two of them, "Again? Seriously, you two are worse than my parents, and believe me, that's bad."

Michelle and Steve turned to face Nikki, their expressions lightening up a bit. The other blonde smiled, giving her a quick hug, "Yeah, well, your roommate is an idiot. I'm scared to read any of the scripts he writes."

Before Nikki could say anything, Steve shot, "Hey, my writing is top of the notch, I'll have you know. Did you know I actually helped write Cursed? It came out last year, very successful if I may say so myself."

Michelle rolled her eyes, "One, no, you may not, two, it wasn't all that successful, and three, I'd be lying if I said I believed you, Nichols."

"It's true," Steve said, amending after a moment, "Well, I didn't actually write-write it, but the writer is a friend of my dad's and I helped him out a lot." At the sceptic look on Michelle's face, he added, "I did!"

"Alright, alright!" Nicole said, deciding to step in before things got too ugly, "Michelle, you are entitled to your own opinion and beliefs. Stephen, I believe you made a major impact on that movie's script."

Michelle shrugged, while Steve narrowed his eyes at Nicole, saying, "Phil was right; you do treat us like mindless children."

"No, children actually do possess reasoning skills, albeit less than decent ones," Nikki commented, sending Steve a wide grin when he glared at her.

Michelle snorted, before turning to Nikki, "Hey, tomorrow, don't forget, the surprise party thing for Valerie and Owen. Solana's."

"My last night at that club ended with a fight, but I'll try to behave," Nikki grinned, hugging Michelle goodbye, "See you tomorrow!"

"Bye!"

"Thank god!" exclaimed Steve, as he and Nikki got in the car. "When we told you to get more girl friends, we meant the nice ones, you know."

Nikki rolled her eyes, "Michelle is very nice . . . in a snarky, bitchy, in-your-face type of way."

"Uh huh. I bet that's what your friends back in New York said about you too, isn't it?"

At that, Nikki sent him a dark glare, before pointing out to the road, "Drive. Silently."

**% % % % %**

_Clang!_

Being awoken from a very deep sleep by loud, metal, clanging noises was not very pleasant, deduced Nicole, as she began noticing that her head was throbbing as she sat up in her bed. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table, groaning. It was only eight thirty, on one of her days off. Why the hell would Steve be making so much noise this early? She fell back down on her pillow, and pulled the blankets up over her face, intending to sleep again.

_Crash!_

With a sigh, Nikki sat up again. Obviously, Steve wasn't on the same page as she was. Swearing and muttering under her breath, she slid off the bed, and grabbed her robe, before making her way downstairs. She looked in the living room, but there was no sign of Steve there, so she headed instead to the kitchen. Sure enough, Steve was there, sitting on the counter.

"What the hell is your problem? I'm trying to sleep here. I don't do that often!" exclaimed Nikki, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought it'd be nice to make breakfast, considering I haven't seen either of you in over six weeks."

Nikki's eyes opened wide, as she turned to the source of the voice. Once her eyes fell on him, a wide grin came over her face, before she launched herself at the man standing opposite her.

"Pretty Boy!"

Phil nearly lost his balance, as he tried to support an extra 120 pounds on him, "Hey to you too, Psycho." He glanced at the floor momentarily, adding, "Thanks for making me drop those eggs, by the way."

Nikki laughed, as she disentangled herself from Phil and took a step back. She stood for a moment, at a loss of words, only to reach over and pull him into another, less suffocating hug, "Oh my god, I've missed you so much! What are you doing here?"

Phil chuckled, "I missed you too." He pulled away, holding Nikki by her shoulders, "And I believe I still sort of live here, even though I do have a place back in Chicago that I've been to more often. Sorry about that."

"I'll try to forgive you," Nikki grinned, all thoughts of going back to bed momentarily forgotten. She glanced at the floor, "Uhm, you're cleaning that up, right?"

Phil rolled his eyes, "I shouldn't have to, but what the hell, sure."

"You go too easy on her, the little brat," said Steve, smirking, as he raised a cup of coffee to his lips.

"Shut up, or I'll invite Michelle over for the day," said Nikki, throwing him a warning glare.

"Oh god, no. The last time was a disaster!" Steve shuddered, "I never felt more unwelcome in my own home in my life."

"Michelle?" Phil asked, as he cleaned the floor, "As in McCool? What am I missing here?"

Nikki grinned, "What aren't you missing, Pretty Boy? Here, I'll fill you in, while you're making the French toast."

"I'm making French toast?" asked Phil.

"You are now."

Steve rolled his eyes, adding, "Make that French toast for two, please. I do believe I am the bestfriend you've known since you were nine and haven't seen in six weeks who's being replaced by the pretty girl you met less than a year ago."

"Stephen, are you feeling neglected?" asked Phil, with a smirk.

"Just a little bit."

With a chuckle, Phil walked around the counter, and hugged Steve, before clapping him on the back, "Now, was that better, or would you like me to jump on you Valentine-style?"

"Okay now," Nicole smirked, standing, "Obviously, you two need some privacy, so excuse me while I go make myself look more presentable." She grimaced, as she ran her fingers through her haystack of hair.

"Yeah, you do look kind of hideous. Nyeuh," said Phil, smirking when Nikki shot him a deadly glare."Just being honest!"

Nikki stuck her tongue out at him, before saying, as she left, "Welcome back, Punkster."

Steve shook his head, before turning over to glance at his friend, "I thought you said you were going to Chicago?"

Phil shrugged, "Eh, I figured I haven't seen you guys for too long."

Steve was a little suspicious, but he chose not to comment on it, instead saying, "Well, you made one little blonde very happy."

"She is pretty happy, isn't she?" Phil smiled, as he set out to make the French toast. "So, anything new?"

Steve rolled his eyes, "Judging by that tone, I'm assuming you're talking about the accident."

"The attack," Phil amended, his expression darkening slightly, "Tell me more. I'm pretty sure you left out some stuff."

Stephen sighed, "We didn't leave out anything, thanks mostly to me. Nikki wanted to keep the whole thing from you." At Phil's indignant look, Steve chuckled, "You can't blame her after the way you went watch dog on her last time."

"Obviously, with reason," stated Phil. "I still think it was him."

"Yeah, well, not enough evidence," Steve shrugged, "Plus, I was hurt more than she was, so who knows? Maybe they weren't even after her."

"Yeah, maybe," Phil said. Steve rolled his eyes; it was obvious from his friend's tone that he didn't entirely agree with that. "How's your arm now?"

"I can drive," Steve said, "But it's a bit of a pain. The doc says it should get back to normal in two weeks or so."

"That's good," Phil turned, leaning against the counter, before asking with a curious look, "What's with you and McCool?"

It almost made Phil laugh, how Steve's expression darkened immediately, as he answered, "She's a snobby, mean know-it-all, who thinks just because she has a teacher's degree, she's smarter and better than everyone. I can't stand her."

Phil chuckled, "Sounds like my type of lady."

"You've already got a lady," Steve pointed out.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh-huh. Say that in front of her, and we'll see what happens," Steve said, smirking. "Good news is, her brother probably won't beat you up over it, bad news is she'd probably do it herself."

Phil laughed, shaking his head. He was, however, curious about Nicole's brother, "What's he like? The only thing I know about him is that he's pretty rude to his sister over the phone."

"Honestly? He wasn't too bad. I was sort of surprised."

"Yeah?" Phil snorted, "You wouldn't guess that mine is an asshole either from first impression, would you? But you know Jackson."

Steve laughed at that. Phil and his older brother Jackson were about as different as you can get, yet at the same time, there were some things that they shared, not that either of them would admit it.

"How is dear old Jackson?" Steve asked, glancing at Phil warily. Just as he expected, his friend's expression immediately darkened.

He shrugged, "Don't know. Haven't heard from him in a while."

Steve's eyes narrowed at Phil's answer. It wasn't the answer itself that alarmed him, but more like the way he said it, like there was more to it.

"Alright, I believe I'm not 'kind of hideous' anymore!"

Phil and Steve glanced at Nikki, as she entered the kitchen. She was wearing a pink tank top, and jean shorts; her hair was damp, but it did look better than it did twenty minutes ago.

"Eh, not too bad," said Phil. "Could be better, though."

Nicole rolled her eyes, taking a seat next to Steve, and ignoring Phil, "So how was your night?"

"Terrible. I had a nightmare where I lost Marcus," Steve shuddered at the mere thought.

Nikki laughed, while Phil sighed loudly, as he said, "It's a freaking pen. And you don't even use it that much, not since you bought that laptop!"

"I'll have you know that Marcus is the sole reason Nicole and I are still alive," stated Stephen, with his arms folded defiantly.

At Phil's confused expression, Nikki explained, "He believes that it's because of Marcus that we didn't get too hurt at the accident."

Phil had to give the girl credit; she didn't even crack a small smile as she made that ridiculous statement. He, however, looked at his best friend incredulously, "Please tell me you're kidding!"

Steve opened his mouth to argue, when Nicole's cell phone began ringing. For some reason that Phil was obviously missing, Steve looked really annoyed at that, as he said, "It's freaking 9 am! Why is she calling you? Annoying, rude people!"

Nikki rolled her eyes, answering the phone, "Hello, McCool. Steve says hi."

As she spoke to her friend, Phil glanced at Steve, asking, "How'd you know it was her?"

"I'm psychic," replied Steve, before explaining, "Your girlfriend has an obsession with ringtones. Everyone she speaks to regularly has their own ringtone. Yours is interesting."

"She's not my girlfriend," said Phil through gritted teeth. Out of curiosity, he asked, "Wait, interesting? What's mine?"

"Since she's not your girlfriend, I don't have to tell you," replied Stephen, smirking.

"You're an asshole, you know that, right?"

"Learned it from the best," Steve nodded Phil's way, still grinning.

"Whatever," muttered Phil, as he placed three plates of French toast for each of them on the counter.

Nikki joined them again momentarily, and reached for her plate, as she asked, "Hey, do you guys have any plans tonight?"

Steve shrugged, "Depends. What's up?"

"You know Valerie, right?" said Nikki, glancing at Phil, who nodded, "Well, her boyfriend proposed, and me and a whole bunch of us from work wanted to take them out, and y'know, celebrate, tonight. You guys want in?"

Steve swallowed, before asking, "Is the she-devil going to be there?"

Nikki rolled her eyes, "It was Michelle's idea. Of course she's coming."

"Then, nope, sorry," when Nikki kicked his shin, Steve yelped in pain, "Ow! That was mean. But to be honest, I have to finish up some work, so, I really can't come. Sorry."

Nikki shrugged, "Don't worry about it; what about you, Pretty Boy?"

"My name's Phil," he said, for the millionth time since Nikki has known him. She simply rolled her eyes, as he continued, "And I can't, sorry."

"Awh, why not?"

"I'm, uh, I'm not feeling very well, and I need to rest up, before going back to work, you know," Phil explained. It was subtle, but Steve noticed it; Phil was lying. He was lightly tapping his foot against his chair; there was just something off about his posture. Steve frowned, but said nothing. He would let it be, for now.

"Oh," Nikki looked slightly disappointed, but she quickly shrugged it off, "Oh well, that's too bad. Now, you haven't said anything about it; how's life on the road treating you?"

Phil chuckled, and the three of them began chatting, but Steve was still very curious about his friend, and whatever it was he was hiding.

* * *

_**A/N:** Sorry for the wait guys! Hope you guys liked this chapter!_

_Shout outs:_

_MishaMuse: Jake's very conflicted, that's for sure. I'll add more about their family later on, promise lol._

_DarkAngelMel2: -legasp!- I'm not sure I can handle killing off Steve, not yet at least lol. But I'm glad you're enjoying the story! :)  
_

_Please review :) _

_-xoxo, Lillian!_


	23. Chapter 23: What happens at the bar

_**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, Vince, or whoever THE man is lol. Point is, I DONT own them. I only own my OC's and my ideas. _

* * *

Nicole tilted her head, as she examined the hot pink nail polish that was now plastered all over her toe nails. Too bright, she decided, as she reached for the nail polish remover. Across from her, Michelle watched with a frown on her face.

"That's the second time, Nikki."

The blonde looked up at her friend, before looking back down at her toes again, with an expression of genuine surprise.

"Oh. You're right. Maybe I should just go without."

Michelle raised her eyebrow, but said nothing, choosing to shrug instead. They were sitting on the floor of Michelle's living room, in her apartment, passing time until their get together with the others. However, Michelle had noticed that Nikki wasn't all there since she got here. She often lapsed into silence, which was weird just on itself, and she had that preoccupied look on her face for a while now.

After another five minutes of the silence, Michelle sighed, asking, "Okay, what gives, New York?"

Nicole looked up at Michelle again, an expression of mild annoyance on her face. The woman had taken to calling her 'New York' or 'Manhattan' or any other name that refers to her hometown, ever since she found out that's where she was from. She liked to make fun and tease her about being a city girl, but Nikki didn't mind it too much. It wasn't like Palatka, Florida was 'country'; Michelle was no country girl either.

"It's Nikki, by the way," she said mildly, "Nothing. Why do you ask?"

"Well, because you've had that frown on your face for a while now. And you're quiet; you're _never_ quiet," with a little more concern, Michelle asked, "What's wrong?"

Nikki hesitated a little bit, before sighing, "It's Phil."

Michelle couldn't help but roll her eyes, which really didn't come as a surprise to Nikki.

"What did Lover Punk do? I thought he was perfect!"

"One, I never said he was perfect, and two, please don't ever call him that again," said Nicole, with a grimace on her face. "He didn't really _do _anything. It's just, I think he's trying to avoid me."

"Oh," at this, Michelle's sarcasm seemed to fade a little bit, "Why would he want to do that?"

"I don't know," Nikki shrugged, twisting a strand of her hair around her index finger, "I invited him and Steve to come with us today, and he said he wasn't feeling well, only he looked fine."

Michelle gaped at Nicole with a devastated look, "Nichols is coming? Why would you do that, Nicole? Do you hate me or something?"

It was Nikki's turn to roll her eyes, "Oh yes, I despise you." She snorted, "He's not coming; busy with work. Focus, Michelle!"

Michelle looked relieved, as she said, "Right, sorry. Well, maybe he really is sick?"

"He looked perfectly fine to me," Nikki pointed out, "And it sounded like an excuse, too. I don't get it."

"I'm sorry," Michelle pulled her knees up to her chest, thinking. "Don't kill me, but maybe he wants to end things with you, but isn't sure how to do it?"

"I would have considered that, if there was a 'thing' between us," Nikki sent her friend a hard look, "We're _not_ dating. I mean it, Michelle. I invited him as a friend, not a date."

"Right, right, whatever you say."

"I mean, he should know that just because I invited him doesn't mean I'm going to jump him, or something. I invited Steve, too, didn't I?"

"Yeah; I'm still mad about that, by the way," Michelle grinned when Nikki raised her arms in frustration, "Hey, it was my idea. You need to discuss these things with me, New York."

"I'll be sure to remember next time."

"Good," Michelle reached to place a hand on Nikki's shoulder, "Don't worry too much about Punk. It's probably nothing."

Nikki nodded silently, but she wasn't sure she believed that. She sincerely hoped whatever was going on with him wouldn't make things awkward between them. Maybe it was just the stress of work; maybe he really was feeling sore, or sick, or whatever. Maybe . . .

**%%%%%%**

Phil glared at his cell phone, before turning it off and shutting his eyes tight. Even when he was miles away, this wouldn't leave him alone. _He_ was coming here, tonight. It was urgent, apparently. Phil highly doubted it. Sighing, he stood up, and made his way to the door.

"Where are you going?"

Phil turned to see Steve standing at the bottom of the stairs, frowning at him. He shrugged, "Just going for a walk. Might stop by the gym, if I feel up to it."

Steve raised an eyebrow, "I thought you weren't feeling well?"

"It's not too bad; I just need to get some good sleep."

There it was again; Phil was definitely hiding something, and Steve didn't think it was a good thing. Frowning, he asked, "What's going on, Phil? You've been acting weird since you got here."

"Nothing's going on. Told you, I'm tired, that's all."

"Tired people stay in bed and rest up, not go on impromptu walks," pointed out Steve.

"Whatever, chill out. I'll see you later."

Steve shook his head, as he watched his friend leave. He hoped he knew what he was doing, but Steve highly doubted it.

**%%%%%**

Nikki stood in front of Michelle's mirror, smoothing out the creases in her dress while she waited for her friend to get out. She felt sort of weird wearing this dress; it was gorgeous, and it wasn't anything too outrageous for her. It was a simple short, fitted black dress, with a sleeveless lace black bolero. However, it wasn't hers, it was Michelle's, and it just felt weird. Nikki sighed, running her fingers through her hair, before turning to glance at the bathroom.

"Come on, McCool,_ I'm_ ready, and that's saying something," Nikki rolled her eyes, "What's taking you so long?"

Michelle apparently decided to ignore her, because Nicole was left to stand aimlessly in her room for another five minutes, before her friend finally emerged from the bathroom.

"Maybe you don't, but some of us actually want to look good," sad Michelle, twirling in front of the mirror once, in her silver one-sleeved dress.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever, can we go now?"

"Yes, but we're going to have to make a detour," said Michelle, glancing at the clock.

"Detour?" asked Nikki, frowning.

"Katie's boyfriend dumped her," Michelle looked annoyed, "Ken said she's down at some freaky bar where she met the ass, and he wants us to pick her up on our way."

"Urghh, but I don't want to," pouted Nikki, folding her arms over her stomach.

"I know, I know, but we won't be long, and I'm driving. You really have no choice, hun," said Michelle, smirking, and leading the way out.

"Did I ever tell you how sweet you always are?"

"Nope."

"Good," Nikki tapped her foot impatiently as Michelle drove. When she parked the car in front of the place, Nikki grimaced at the sight, "Ugh. Do I have to come with?"

"Get out, princess," demanded Michelle, to which Nicole obliged, albeit hesitantly.

**%%%%%%**

Phil sat inside a dingy bar, waiting. He swirled his Sprite around in its can, getting bored quickly. Plus, this bar was just full of weirdos and druggies, and him calling someone weird, well, it said a lot, because Phil knew he wasn't the most 'normal' person out there. He sighed, setting his drink down on the table, just as a tall, scantily clad brunette approached him. He spared her one disparaging glance, before turning to ignore her, but then she spoke.

"You're Phil, aren't you?"

He turned to face her again, narrowing his eyes, "Maybe. Who are you?"

The girl merely smirked, as she picked a piece of lint out of her outfit –which wasn't leaving much to imagination-, and said, "He sent me."

"He?"

"You and I both know who I'm talking about," the girl sent him a coy smirk, as she inched closer to him, "He's running late, but I wouldn't mind keeping you company."

Phil raised an eyebrow, before placing his hands on her shoulders, and pushing her away; her breath stunk of beer. He sighed, "Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass. You can leave."

The girl didn't look at all fazed by his reaction, and instead, she took a seat next to him, and ordered a drink, "I can't; he told me to wait." Once more, she inched closer, placing a hand on his knee, and whispered in his ear, "I really, really wouldn't mind helping you pass the time, you know."

Phil tried to push her away again, but she kept trying. In the end, Phil gave up, and decided to simply ignore her; darn _him_, he always put him in stupid, annoying situations like this.

**%%%%%%**

Nicole had followed Michelle inside, and began looking around the place. It was pretty creepy, and they stood out like a sore thumb, especially with Michelle's bright silver outfit. Finally, they spotted Katie's purple hair, and approached her. It took them a little longer than Nikki would have liked, but finally, the devastated woman agreed to come with them. It was a good thing too, because a couple of guys were leering at them, and Nikki had no doubt that they would have tried to come on to the poor girl if they'd left her.

As they made to finally leave the bar, Michelle suddenly grabbed Nikki's upper arm. Frowning, she asked, "What?"

"Where is Punk supposed to be right now?" asked Michelle, with an unreadable look on her face.

Nikki shrugged, "I don't know, probably either at home watching TV or at the gym. Why?"

Michelle hesitated, before pointing at the direction of the bar table, "That guy over there looks a lot like him."

Nikki's eyes followed the direction Michelle was pointing. Sure enough, there was Phil, cradling a bottle of Sprite, as some brunette tramp hung all over him. Nikki didn't really know what to say, but she was sure she could figure that out, no problem; there were a few scenarios running through her mind as she stared at the scene in front of her. Turning to face Michelle, she said, "You guys go ahead and wait for me in the car. I'll be right with you."

Michelle nodded, as her face sported a look of sympathy, "Okay. I'm sorry."

Nikki brushed her off, and walked over to the bar, snapping her fingers until the bartender approached her, "Can I get a beer?"

The man nodded, and brought her the drink in a few moments. She gave him a sarcastic grin, before marching over to where Phil was sitting. Grinning sweetly, she stood behind him and tapped him on the shoulder lightly, as his slutty friend observed her with a frown on her annoying little face.

Phil looked completely surprised to see her, as he said, "Nik! What are you doing here?"

"Aw, don't you worry about that; you should worry about how you're going to get your hair cleaned up," Phil frowned at this, but before he could say anything else, Nikki tipped her entire beer mug over his head, with a satisfied smirk on her face.

"What the hell?" Phil spluttered, as he attempted to wipe away the drink from his face. The brunette sitting next to him backed away, as she tried to wipe away some of the beer that spilled on her as well.

Nikki slammed the mug on the bar, and said, "Next time you want to lie to me about something, just remember this." As she made to walk away, she stopped, and yelled out to the bartender, "He'll be paying for that, by the way."

Nikki stormed out of the bar, and made her way to Michelle's car, where the other girl was waiting for her with a concerned look on her face. As she got in, Michelle opened her mouth to say something, but Nicole stopped her, "I'm fine, just drive. Val and the rest are waiting."

**%%%%%**

Phil stared after Nikki's retreating figure, before turning to the brunette, and asking with a deadly voice, "Where the hell is he?"

The girl looked pretty devastated by now, as she surveyed the damage done to her outfit; she spared him a glance, "I don't know! Who was that psycho?"

"Nevermind who that was. I'm drenched in beer. I'm sitting next to a tramp. I want to get out of here, so will you please tell me when he's coming?"

The girl looked genuinely lost and afraid, as he glared at her with venom in his eyes. She shook her head, saying weakly, "I don't know. He said to wait with you, that he'll pay me once he gets here."

Phil swore under his breath, and wiped his face off on the dry part of his shirt. He was about to yell at this annoying girl some more, to vent, when he heard him.

"Well, that was some wicked show. How's that beer tasting, Philly?"

Slowly, he turned around and his eyes landed on a man of about his height. He had the same dark hair as Phil -only his was tied to the back- and strikingly similar facial features, but his eyes were a dark brown, almost black, and his face sported an annoying, gleeful sneer that Phil wanted to wipe off of his face so badly.

"Jackson." Said Phil through gritted teeth, "It took you long enough."

Jackson Brooks smirked, shrugging, as he took a seat on the other side of Phil, "Have a seat, little bro." He glanced at the bartender, "Can we have two drinks over here? It's on him."

Phil stared at his brother incredulously, as the bartender placed drinks in front of Jackson and his annoying brunette. When neither of them looked like they were going to say anything, he sighed, and went on to sit between them, and muttered darkly, "It's always _so_ fucking good to see you."

* * *

_**A/N**  
_

_Shout outs:_

_MishaMuse: lol, I might tell you guys about the ringtone later, if I find a way to work it in ;)  
_

_DarkAngelMel2: haha, Steve is awesome, isn't he? And idk if anyone can compete for his heart; I mean, Marcus is some tough competition :P :P  
_

_Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I certainly had fun writing it lol. _

_Please review :) _

_-xoxo, Lillian!_


	24. Chapter 24: Drunken Advances

_**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, Vince, or whoever THE man is lol. Point is, I DONT own them. I only own my OC's and my ideas. _

* * *

Phil wanted to run his head through a wall, preferably a metal wall. Anything would be better than having to endure Jackson's pointless chit-chat, and Chloe the Tramp, as he has decided to call her, blubber on and on drunkenly. He sighed, and glanced at the door of the rest room, where he was currently hiding, deciding that he might as well go back out there. This place stunk.

As he approached his brother, he found him poking the brunette with his finger. Jackson glanced up when he noticed Phil, and said, "I think she's passed out. Do you think she's passed out?"

Phil rolled his eyes, resisting the temptation to run_ Jackson's_ head through the wall. He folded his arms, "Gee, I don't know. She's limp, she's snoring, she's drank what, four bottles? No, she's wide awake, Jackson."

"Well you don't have to be so sarcastic," said Jackson, smirking.

Phil narrowed his eyes, "Why haven't you been drinking?" Jackson snorted, pointing at his drink; Phil shook his head, "You took like, two sips of that. Your hooker went through a bazillion."

"Not really feeling it, tonight," answered Jackson, glancing at his drink.

"Could be," Phil stepped closer to his brother, "Or it could be that you don't want to get drunk enough to let something slip. Why the hell are you here, Jackson?"

"Always so charming, Philly," replied Jackson. When Phil wouldn't quit glaring at him, he sighed, "I need some money."

"Forget it, you still owe me over a thousand bucks from the last time I lent you money," replied Phil, turning to walk away.

"Monica's sick."

Phil stopped in his tracks. He didn't turn around right away; instead, he shut his eyes tight, and asked calmly, "What does she have?"

Jackson watched his brother, smirking slightly, but when he spoke, he sounded as sincere as possible, "Some heart problem; it's treatable, but the medicine costs an arm and a leg."

Phil swore under his breath; yes, he didn't give a damn if his brother went off and got himself killed, but Monica didn't deserve to suffer along with him. Just because, for reasons beyond his understanding, the woman actually tolerated his brother enough to marry him didn't mean she had to be condemned to a miserable life.

He turned around, and glared at Jackson, "Why should I believe you?"

"Trust me, Phil, you're the last person I'd willingly visit," replied Jackson, snorting, "I need the money. Ryan's starting school this fall too."

"I can't keep on funding your family forever," replied Phil, with an annoyed expression.

"I know, I'm not an idiot," when Phil looked like he obviously thought otherwise, Jackson impatiently rolled his eyes, ignoring him. "Just until I find a new job, that's all."

Phil wanted to pull his hair out; better yet, he wanted to pull Jackson's hair out, maybe even his head. The thing was, he didn't know if he could trust Jackson, but he also had no other way of contacting Monica and his nephew; his brother had made sure of that a long time ago. Basically, Jackson's word was all he had to go on, and Phil didn't trust it at all.

"How much?"

Jackson had to work hard at keeping the gleeful grin that was threatening to take over his face; he knew he had Phil right where he wanted him. But he also knew he had to play his cards right. "Just about . . . you know, two grands? Give or take, something to get us through the next month or so."

Phil stared at his brother hard for a while, before swearing under his breath. He literally had no choice but to go along with Jackson's request; he could be lying, but Phil didn't like the idea of being the reason his sister-in-law or his nephew are at a disadvantage, one that could possibly kill the poor woman.

"Fine."

_**%%%%%%**_

Phil couldn't sleep. It was past midnight, and he still didn't feel the least bit tired. Jackson had left –along with a good amount of his money- a little more than an hour ago, so at least he didn't have to deal with that. But now he finally had time to think about what happened before Jackson showed up. It had to be the hundredth time he mentally cursed himself for not telling Nicole the truth. Judging by the fact that she still wasn't home, she was probably furious. The worst part was that he really couldn't blame her.

Phil sighed, as he flipped aimlessly through various television channels. Just as he was about to turn it off, he heard a cell phone ringing. He was pretty sure it wasn't his; sure enough, once he found it, in the kitchen, he discovered it was Stephen's. He glanced at the screen, intending to turn it off, but one glance at the caller ID changed his mind. It was Nikki.

Tentatively, Phil answered it, "Hello?"

"Hi . . . you're not Nichols . . . are you?"

Phil frowned, "No, and you're not Nikki."

"It's Michelle; where is he? And who are you?"

Phil's frown deepened, "Steve's asleep. It's Phil. Is everything alright?"

"Oh, Punk," Phil was taken aback by venom in her voice, "I need Stephen to come here. Now."

"Why?" asked Phil, beginning to worry.

"It's none of your business, Punk. Just tell him I need his help, alright? Bye."

Without another word, Michelle hung up. Phil stared at the phone with a frown, before deciding to go instead. He knew where they were; that stupid club that Steve was so obsessed with. After quickly throwing Steve's cell phone into his room, Phil left.

_**%%%%%%**_

Michelle sighed as she watched Nicole dancing a short distance away with some random guy, or rather, guys. She shook her head, knowing that she was going to have to go after her again soon; this had to have been the fifth time she had struggled to stop Nikki from leaving with some sleazy bastard she knew nothing about but his name, but the girl found it incredibly hilarious. Of course, she had downed one too many shots of tequila, and she really couldn't care what she does or who she leaves with. Michelle had tried to take her home, but the girl was too damn stubborn and, unfortunately, too strong, for Michelle to force into the car. That was when she realised that she would need someone's help; she had a little battle with herself over calling Stephen, but when Nikki almost walked out with someone else again, Michelle decided that her pride wasn't worth it.

Michelle looked around at the direction of the entrance, to try and spot Stephen, but there was no sign of him. Just as she was about to go and try and talk some sense into Nicole once more, she spotted someone else who was no doubt here for the drunken blonde. She rolled her eyes, and made her way towards him instead.

"Punk." She said, as a way of greeting. Her hands were placed on her hips, eyes narrowed, "I thought I said I want Nichols to come."

Phil rubbed the back of his head, shrugging the matter off, "He was asleep. What's wrong with Nikki?"

"Mostly, the fact that she associates with you," replied Michelle sarcastically, "But right now, she's drunk out of her mind, and I can't seem to get her to go home."

Phil sighed, and scanned the area, until his eyes fell on Nikki. He was about to make his way towards her, when Michelle stepped in front of him.

"What?" he asked impatiently.

"Considering you're the reason she's _this _drunk, I don't think you should be going anywhere near her," said Michelle, with a determined look on her face.

Phil rolled his eyes, "You said you needed help; I'll take her home, and let her sleep it off, then she's off your hands."

"I'm not letting her leave with you when she's this wasted," stated Michelle.

"Oh, and why is that?" asked Phil, feeling insulted.

Michelle snorted, before saying, "After what I saw earlier tonight, I think it's safe to assume that you're a sleazy bastard."

Phil's eyes narrowed, "I would never hurt her, or take advantage of her, or whatever other twisted idea you got inside your pretty little head."

"Right, you'd just rather lie to her and break her heart," said Michelle, raising an eyebrow.

Phil shook his head; it was obvious that Michelle wasn't going to change her mind about him anytime soon, so he side-stepped her and took a few steps until he reached Nikki. He grabbed her upper arm, and said to the guys she was dancing with, "Excuse us, I need to borrow her for a minute. Go find something else to do, losers."

Nikki appeared surprised, but she didn't fight Phil. Instead, she giggled, draping her arms around him, and said, "Pretty Boy! What are you doing here?"

Phil rolled his eyes; what was it with drunken girls and hanging all over him tonight? Well, at least this one he actually knew. Phil tried to support her, as he said, "I'm taking you home, okay?"

"Like hell you are."

Phil cursed under his breath, and turned to face Michelle, standing in front of him, blocking his way once again.

"'Chelle! I thought you left. I missed you!" Nikki disentangled herself from Phil, and instead went to hug Michelle, or rather, throw herself at the woman. Apparently she was a very loving type of drunk.

Phil glared at Michelle over Nikki's head, and asked through his teeth, "Why not?"

"Because I don't trust you," said Michelle simply. "I'm taking her with me; she can crash in my apartment for the night."

Just as Phil was about to argue with the woman, Nikki pulled away from Michelle, staggering backwards, "What? I don't want to leave."

She took a few wobbly steps back, and almost fell, before Phil caught her. He steadied her, before looking up at Michelle with frustration, "Listen to me. I'd never do anything that would put her in danger. You can't convince her to leave; maybe I can, or at the very least, I'm bigger than her, she can't fight me." He glanced at Nikki, who had left his side a few seconds earlier and was back on the dance floor. "Well, at least not while she's drunk."

Michelle's arms were folded over her chest, and her eyes were glaring daggers at him. Phil sighed after a moment, and pulled out his phone, dialling a number, before handing it to her, "Since you seem to trust him, here, ask Steve if I'm 'trustworthy' enough to take your dear friend home."

Michelle looked at the phone suspiciously, before pulling it away from Phil's grasp. It took a little longer than she would have liked, but finally, Stephen's drowsy voice greeted her from the other line, "Damn it, Punk, it's late. I'm tired and asleep. What the hell do you want?"

"It's Michelle, you idiot."

There was a long period of confused silence, before Steve spoke again, "What are you doing with Punk's phone?"

Phil, who was practically standing ear to ear with Michelle, said loudly, "Can you tell her to let me bring Nikki home? She thinks I'll run off with her or kill her or something stupid like that."

Michelle sent Phil a glare, before pushing him away, and saying, "I think I should take her to my place tonight."

Steve said nothing for a while, before speaking, his voice tired and weary, "McCool, Punk may be an idiot and an asshole with no regard for anything like the fact that I'm trying to fucking sleep right now . . . _but_ he wouldn't do anything to hurt that little pest." When Michelle said nothing, Steve sighed, adding, "I'll give you a call as soon as they get here. Promise."

Michelle hesitated for a bit, before turning off the phone without saying a word to Steve. She all but threw it back to Phil, saying darkly, "Fifteen minutes after you leave, if I don't get a call, I'm coming after you."

Phil rolled his eyes, but he nodded, and muttered his annoyed thank you, before going to find Nikki. It took both them a while, but they finally found her, then they had to spend another ten minutes convincing her that it was time to leave, before they were finally out of the place, and on their way home.

**_%%%%%_**

Once they got there, Phil struggled to get Nikki to let him help her into the house, and up the stairs to her room. She was convinced that she was perfectly capable of doing so herself, except he had to stop her about a hundred times from walking straight into a wall, or tripping over her own feet. Finally, somehow, he managed to get her into her room.

"Here we are. Now go get some sleep," he said, as he let go of her.

Nikki looked around the room, as though seeing it for the first time, before stumbling her way to her bed. She sat there for a while, doing nothing but staring at her feet.

Frowning, Phil asked, "Are you okay?"

Nikki looked up at him, shaking her head, "I have to get the shoes off."

Phil chuckled, before shaking his head and coming to help her out. Once he did as she asked, he stood up straight, asking, "There. Anything else?"

Nikki didn't answer him, instead she reached for his shirt, pulling him down, and kissed him, full on the lips. Phil lost his balance, ending up on top of her in the bed. It took him a few seconds to register what had happened, and a few seconds more to realise that she probably had no idea what she was doing, and that this was exactly what McCool was so worked up about. Phil pulled away from her, and tried to stand up, but her legs were wrapped around his waist, holding him down.

Phil cursed under his breath, and tried to reason with her, "Nikki, you need to go to sleep."

The crazy girl was going to drive him nuts; she was kissing her way up his throat right now. It took all of Phil's self-control not to give in to her advances. She was drunk, and if she wasn't, he had a feeling she probably wouldn't even stand to look at him. Firmly, he pushed her shoulders down so she was laying on the bed, and disentangled himself away from her.

"You need to sleep," he stated again.

Nikki pouted, trying to reach for him again, "Only if you sleep with me too."

Phil sighed, "I can't do that; one, you'd kill me come the morning, and two . . . I just can't."

"Why not?" Nikki sat up, propped on her elbows, looking confused. "Don't you like me?"

"Oh, sweetheart, it's not that, believe me," Phil said, sighing heavily. "You wouldn't want me to. Sleep; we'll talk tomorrow."

Phil's hand was at the door knob, when Nicole spoke again, "Can you stay? Please."

He hesitated; there was something different about her voice this time around. She didn't sound as . . . giddy. Instead, it seemed almost as if she was upset, scared. He sighed, before going back. Nikki curled up next to him with her head on his chest, and held on to him almost desperately. Phil didn't know what happened to get her in this mood, but he tried to comfort her anyway, rubbing her arm soothingly. It was a while –he wasn't even sure how long he stayed there- but eventually, he looked down to see that Nicole was finally deep asleep. He gently put her on the bed, adjusting her so that she was more comfortable, and left the room.

Phil had a feeling that while she may be clingy and all lovey-dovey tonight, next morning was going to be a whole different story.

* * *

_**A/N**  
_

_First of all...I'm sorryy! I know, I know, it took me forever to update. It's summer, there are distractions everywhere lol. _

_But I like the way this chapter turned out lol._

_Hope you all enjoy it!_

_Please review :) _

_-xoxo, Lillian!_


	25. Chapter 25: From Bad to Worse

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, Vince, or whoever THE man is lol. Point is, I DONT own them. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

* * *

There was a strange sound, coming from over Nicole's head. It was like someone was repeatedly dropping a bowling ball. Wait . . . now it was more than one bowling ball? She frowned, and turned around, burying her head in her pillow. Was someone shining a flashlight over her eyes? Nikki groaned, pulling her covers over her head. She stayed that way for a while, wishing the bowling balls would stop falling, and the person carrying the flashlight would go away. After a moment, she shuffled a little bit; what the hell was she wearing? Her pyjamas weren't usually this uncomfortable. Nikki rand her hand over her clothes; yep, those weren't her pyjamas.

Gingerly, she forced herself to sit up, and open her eyes. Her first reaction after that was to shield them from the light; it was the sun, not a flashlight! She had always despised the sun . . . and by always, she meant about five seconds ago. Nikki turned around, giving the window her back, and took a look at her surroundings, trying to make sense of everything. Slowly, she began to remember what had happened, and with every bit of last night that returned to her memory, she winced. Those weren't bowling balls, not real ones; it was all in her head. She fell back on the bed, shutting her eyes tightly, as she put together what she recalled about last night, which was a lot. She wasn't too surprised; Nikki usually remembered most of her drunken adventures . . . except for the few times where she actually blacked out.

She sat up abruptly, before rushing out of her room and into the bathroom, almost tripping over something. Luckily, she got there in time to literally puke her guts out into the toilet. She didn't know how long she was there, trying to make sure her hair didn't fall over her face, and just feeling like crap. But after a while, she felt someone else's hand on the small of her back, and another one pushing her hair away from her face. Nikki took a moment to glance up and see Stephen's face, but she quickly turned to continue exercising her esophagus, throwing up.

A while later, after she basically dry-heaved for ten minutes, Nikki sat on the floor outside of the bathroom next to Steve. She glanced up at him, asking hoarsely, "What time is it?"

Steve glanced at his watch, "Ten eighteen." He smirked, adding, "In the morning, that is."

Nikki rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I figured." She sat silently for a while, before pushing herself off of the floor, "I need to shower. And change." She glanced at Steve, "Can you make me coffee? And rice."

Steve gave her an odd look, repeating, "Rice?"

Nicole nodded, "Yes. White rice. Just enough to fill up a bowl."

"Why do you need _rice_?" Steve asked, bewildered.

"I always drink rice and eat coffee when I feel sick," explained Nikki. At the amused look on Steve's face, she realised her mistake, "That didn't come out right. Just make me the damn rice."

Steve nodded, still smirking, and left. It was a drag to get herself back into her room, find something more comfortable to wear, then go back into the bathroom. Nicole had no idea how she showered and got dressed, stopping several times when she felt like she was about to get sick again. Eventually, though, she found herself fully dressed, and heading downstairs to the kitchen. There, she found the table empty. Annoyed, Nikki muttered to herself rather than to anyone else, "Where's my damn coffee?"

A loud voice that had her wincing greeted her ears, from behind her, "I told Steve not to make it; you're dehydrated as it is, you don't need the caffeine. Drink some water, or juice."

Nikki turned to face Phil. At first, she wasn't entirely sure what to say or think. She remembered enough about last night to feel awkward and embarrassed, but she also remembered what happened before she had gotten her drink on. And she noticed his complete disregard for her sensitivity to noises, thanks to aforementioned 'drink on'.

Glaring at him, Nikki said quietly, "That's none of your business."

Phil simply rolled his eyes, and poured a glass of water, handing it to her, "Just drink it, and eat this. You'll feel better soon." He pointed at a plate of food sitting next to the stove.

Nikki rolled her eyes, "You want me to take advice from someone who's never been hungover? Yeah, that sounds smart." She did, however, take the glass of water.

"I've seen enough people go through it to know the basics," replied Phil.

"Whatever," replied Nikki. She leaned over to see what was on the plate, before gagging as the smell met her nose. "Ugh. I can't eat eggs. Where's my rice?"

"I told Steve not to make that either," replied Phil.

Nicole looked at him with murderous eyes. She held her index finger and her thumb close together, speaking in a deadly whisper, "I'm about _this _close to shooting you. Make me my rice, or I'll do it."

"You can't; it's illegal to possess a gun here. You're not in Texas," said Phil, smirking.

Nikki felt like throttling him. "Then I guess I'll go to jail. I. Want. My. Rice."

Phil laughed loudly, before saying, "Okay, okay. I'll tell Steve to do it."

"Jerk," muttered Nikki, as she took her glass of water and headed toward the stairs.

"Wait."

Nikki stopped, one foot on the first step of stairs, and glanced at him questioningly.

Phil ran his fingers through his hair, pausing for a second, before he asked, "About last night. How much do you remember?"

Nikki hesitated for a moment, the slight reddening of her cheeks basically answering his question, before she replied coldly, "Enough to realise that at least you know what's best for your life, even if you are a lying bastard."

They stood that way, glaring daggers at each other for a while. He wanted to say something, to tell her that it wasn't like she thought, but he knew that she wouldn't listen right now. She was too sick, too mad, and just too stubborn.

**%%%%**

After his brief encounter with Nicole, Phil tried to get Steve to talk to her and explain what happened instead. However, his friend was simply too smart for his own good; he wouldn't do it, claiming to be too scared of Nikki. Well, technically, he wasn't 'claiming'; Phil was pretty sure Steve was indeed scared of Nicole. So instead of having to endure staying in the same confined space where the chances of her murdering him were high, Phil decided to go out for a jog.

When he came back, he could see from a distance that they had a visitor. He was hoping it was Jeremiah, since he hadn't seen the man in a while, but as he neared the house, he had to bite back a groan. It was Michelle McCool. Now he had to worry about _two _angry blondes, instead of just one. However, he did notice that all three of them –Nicole, Stephen, and Michelle- looked remarkably happier than when he last saw them.

As he made his way up to the porch, Phil said, "Hey guys."

As expected, Michelle turned to glance at him with an expression of utmost disdain, saying, "Oh, look! It's the sleazy asshole! How're _you_ doing this afternoon?"

Phil rolled his eyes, "Nice to see you too, McCool. I'm doing great! Yourself?"

Michelle glared at him for a moment, before she turned to Nikki, "I think I'll go now. Love you!" The two of them hugged briefly, and then Michelle went over to her car. After she got in, she glanced at Phil and Steve, saying, "See ya, Dumb and Dumber."

Steve rolled his eyes, saying, as Michelle drove away, "I wonder which is which. I'm pretty sure my grades were always higher."

"Yeah, right. Only if you think Creative Writing was the only class that mattered," said Phil, smirking. He then spared a tentative glance at Nicole, who was sitting at the top step, cradling a bowl of rice, "How're you feeling?"

"Still too sick to throttle you, so you're good," she replied smoothly.

"Right." Phil sighed, shaking his head and going back inside without saying anymore. He headed straight upstairs, took a shower, then spent the next hour reading some of his old comics. He needed to figure out a way to talk to Nicole without her threatening to kill him from the moment he opened his mouth. After staring aimlessly at the same page for over five minutes, he decided he might as well just do it the old fashioned way and confront her.

Phil finally managed to find her outside in the backyard. She was laying down on a towel, wearing a blue bikini, with the radio blasting music by her side. He raised an eyebrow, trying to resist staring, before going to stand in front of her.

Nicole sighed, pushing her sunglasses down just enough to make eye contact, "Go away."

"What are you doing?" asked Phil.

She gave him an annoyed look, "Shovelling the _invisible_ snow. What does it look like, you idiot?"

"I'm just saying, I thought you were sick."

"I feel nauseous, but it's better now," replied Nikki. "Go away."

"We need to talk," stated Phil, completely ignoring her request.

"No, we don't. And thanks a lot, the mood is ruined," Nikki gathered up her towel, before grabbing a white blouse and slipping it on over her bikini before she turned to go back inside.

Well, Phil wasn't going to have that, now, was he? He rolled his eyes, before reaching out and grabbing her upper arm, pulling her back against him. He reached with his other hand for the glasses, taking them off her face and throwing them carelessly to the ground. Looking her hard in the eyes, he repeated, "We need to talk."

Nikki stared back at him defiantly, "No. We don't. Let me go."

"Not gonna happen," replied Phil, tightening his grip on her, "Unless we talk."

"About what?" asked Nicole heatedly. "What an asshole you are? I don't think there's much to be said about that. Now get away from me."

Phil smirked slightly, and he knew he was going to be pushing it, but he still said it, "That's not what you were saying last night."

Just as he expected, Nicole's eyes narrowed dangerously, but there was a certain twinge of embarrassment in her expression, as she defended herself, "I was drunk; you can't hold it over me."

"See, I don't think you were as drunk as you made it seem," said Phil, slowly walking forward, and pushing Nikki along with him. "I think you just wanted an excuse."

"Right. After god knows how many tequila shots, I was still sober," said Nikki sarcastically. "That makes perfect sense."

"You practically jumped me! And I think deep down, you know there's more to last night than what you saw at the bar," said Phil, looking at her accusingly. "But it's easier for you, isn't it? It's easier if you convince yourself that you hate me."

"I'm not convincing myself, I really _do_ hate you right about now," stated Nikki, through gritted teeth.

"Right. So if I kiss you right now, you'll have no problem pushing me away, right?" asked Phil with a smirk.

Nikki looked at him with an unreadable expression, "You wouldn't dare."

"Is that a challenge? You should know better than to challenge me," Phil took one more step, pinning Nicole to the brick wall behind her. She appeared startled, and let her guard down long enough for him to see the apprehension in her eyes. "I just want a chance to explain myself. Will you be civil for five minutes?"

"Will you let go of me?" shot back Nikki.

"Sorry, no can do," Phil said, grinning as she looked like she was about to throttle him.

"You have nothing to explain! You were out with your slutty new girlfriend, I get it. I'm not mad about that," said Nikki, frustration evident in her voice. "I just wish you would've told me, that's all."

"She wasn't my girlfriend." At the sceptical look Nikki shot him, he added, "She was some hooker."

"Oh, yes, this makes it all better! You lied to me for a hooker!" Nikki looked like she was about to punch him, so Phil reached and grabbed her other wrist with his free hand. He really didn't want to have to deal with that right now.

"I didn't lie to you," When she gave him a look, he amended, "About Chloe . . . the hooker. My brother sent her." Before Nicole could say anything else, he finished hurriedly, "I was there to meet my brother. He was running late, so he sent me a hooker to do the torturing while he got there."

Nicole was very confused now. She stopped trying to struggle out of Phil's grip, and asked, "Why would your brother want to torture you? And why would you lie to me about your brother?" A look of suspicion came over her face, "You're lying right now!"

Phil wanted to throw his fist against a wall, as she accused him, yet again, of lying. What would it take with her? He took a deep breath, before speaking again, "No, I'm not. My wallet and Stephen can vouch for that." At the mention of Steve, Nicole's anger seemed to subside a little. What was it with girls trusting his best friend over him? Well, it was working on his favour so he wasn't about to question it. Instead, he attempted to explain again, "Jackson –that's my brother- is evil. He called me two days ago, and said he needed to see me, but I was already coming here, so he said he'd come see me here. Turned out he needed some money, but that's beside the point. I didn't lie to you about the girl. I didn't even know who she was, and I was trying to get rid of her."

Nikki remained silent for a moment. He wouldn't lie about that if he knew she could just ask Steve, who was a terrible liar, so she believed _that_ part of his story. Still, she continued to glare, "But you did lie. Why didn't you just tell me your brother was visiting?"

"I told you, Jackson is evil," replied Phil, as if that explained all.

"My brother isn't great either; I wouldn't have lied."

This time, it was Phil's turn to look slightly nervous. He sighed, and decided to come clean, "I didn't want you to meet him because I was afraid you'd like him better than me. We look exactly the same. Plus, Jackson has a thing with stealing everything that's mine. Or at least ruining it."

Nikki raised her eyebrows, repeating testily, "Everything that's _yours_?"

Phil realised what had just happened, and backtracked, "I meant. . . he doesn't like it when I have friends. He managed to make you think I'm a scumbag without even meeting you. He's evil."

"Evil is a strong word." Nikki wasn't glaring at him anymore, but he could tell that it wasn't over just yet.

"Yeah...well, not when it comes to Jackson, believe me." Phil scowled; just thinking about his brother made his blood boil. When Nikki let out a soft cry of pain, he realised that he had been gripping her arm too tightly and loosened his grip on her. "Sorry. Jackson's one of the reasons I went into this business. Are we good?"

Nikki raised her eyebrow, looking incredulous, "We might be, as soon as you apologize."

"Apologize? For what?" asked Phil, honestly confused.

"You're kidding, right?" said Nikki, half laughing, half annoyed.

"No. I'm not sorry that I didn't tell you. I just wish the whole hooker thing didn't happen, but that wasn't _my_ fault!" said Phil defensivly. "If anything, _you _should apologize to me; do you have any idea how hard it was it get the smell of beer off of my hair?"

Nikki's jaw was set, her eyes practically burning. She obviously didn't agree with him. "If you keep this up, you might find yourself in another alcohol-based bath."

"You're being ridiculous," stated Phil.

"_I'm_ being ridiculous? I'm the one who got lied to, which in turn lead to me getting so drunk I couldn't stand straight and then throwing myself on every guy in sight," Nikki's cheeks turned a light pink again, as she stated the last part.

"I still don't think you were drunk." Phil smirked again, adding jokingly, "I think you love me."

"I do _not _love you," retorted Nikki.

"Fine, but you like me. A lot. Admit it, that's why you're making such a big deal out of this," Phil was not at all inclined to believe that she actually wanted him to apologize for the mere sake of apologizing. "If you didn't like me, you'd be okay with this by now."

Nikki glared at Phil, "You're an idiot. I _hate_ lies. And secrets. Which reminds me, I guess I should tell you," She paused long enough for her to bring her knee up, hitting Phil right in the groin, and pushing him away. As she walked back inside, she spat out, "I got called up. To RAW."

His eyes were watering from the pain, but even through that, he stared up at Nicole in shock. This was not happening, was it?

* * *

_**A/N**_

_Again, I'm sorry guys! Summer is the King/Queen of Distraction_

_So, I had fun with this charrie. A bit of a different side of Punkee...lol_

_Hope you all enjoy it!_

_Please review :) _

_-xoxo, Lillian!_


	26. Chapter 26: Encounters

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, Vince, or whoever THE man is lol. Point is, I DONT own them. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

* * *

Fifty Two Hours. That was how long Stephen had to endure what was going on in front of him right this moment. He groaned, placing his head back against the dining table. He thought it would get better, since Phil was supposed to go back to work last night, but it turned out that he was written off 'injured' for that week. And so Steve had to go through _this _for the last two days.

"We wouldn't have a problem, if you'd just eaten the damn burgers, now, would we?" said Phil, his teeth gritted.

"I didn't want the burger. I wanted a pizza," retorted Nikki, arms folded. "Of course, I understand why me _lying_ and saying I wanted a burger would make you feel comfortable, you being the rotten liar you are."

"I. Am. Not. A. Fucking. Liar." Said Phil, for what must have been the thousandth time this week. "Can't you get that through your thick skull?"

"Sorry, no can do," Nikki said sarcastically, "I'm blonde; haven't you heard? We're stupid."

"You're impossible!" Phil slammed his fork on the table, before getting up and leaving in a huff.

Nicole smirked as she watched him leave, before standing up, and saying, "Call me when the new pizza gets here."

Steve nodded weakly, watching her leave as well. This had to stop. It seemed that Nikki and Phil couldn't put two polite words together anymore before everything blew up, and one of them ended up leaving angrily. Tonight, it had been such a stupid thing. Phil was going to make burgers for dinner, but Nicole announced that she didn't feel like eating that, so they ended up ordering a pizza. Things seemed to calm down . . . that is until the delivery guy brought them the wrong order. Phil nearly knocked the poor kid out, while Nicole blamed Phil and took the delivery kid's side. Needless to say, that didn't do wonders for Phil's mood.

After a while, the pizza did come, this time the right one. Instead of calling his roommates down, Steve split the pizza into equal slices, giving each of them their own, in their rooms. He really didn't feel like dealing with yet another yelling contest, or whatever the hell they could come up with. However, it seemed that even those measures weren't working. As he was eating downstairs in the living room, Steve could distinctly hear the two of them going at it again. He felt like running his head through the wall.

There was no way around it; he needed the help of the only other person who knew Nicole as well as he did, the only other person who was probably suffering as much as he was. He sighed resignedly, and dialed the number on his cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Before you say anything snarky or annoying, hear me out, okay?" said Steve quickly. He didn't wait for a reply before adding, "My roommates are driving me nuts. I'm sure your best friend is doing the same. We need to figure this out together."

Michelle McCool laughed from the other end of the line, but she stopped quickly, saying in a more serious tone, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think you're right. Plus, it's bound to get worse, once we hit the road."

"Exactly! I'm not sure I can handle frequent midnight calls about this," Steve added, as he nodded, remembering that Michelle too had been signed to RAW. They had already made plans to let the place here in Louisville go, as both Nicole and Phil will be touring, and so will Steve, once he straightens out his schedule with the rest of the creative team.

"Don't worry. I've got a plan," said Michelle. "Tomorrow, around noon, get Punk and come to my place, alright?"

Steve frowned, unsure of what she had planned. However, he really was in no position to argue or complain, so he agreed, before writing down Michelle's address. He sincerely hoped whatever she had planned worked, because he knew that if it didn't, being in different shows was not going to stop Nicole and Phil from their raging war.

**%%%%%%**

"The thing is, he acts like he didn't even do anything! It makes me so mad!"

Michelle felt like knocking her friend out, as Nicole went on and on _again_ about Punk. They were at Michelle's place, where Nikki was helping her pack up the rest of her stuff, since she was leaving in two days. While Michelle greatly appreciated that, she really could do without the incessant ranting about stupid Punk.

"I'm sure it must be infuriating," said Michelle monotonously.

"It is! And he doesn't even get it!" Nikki continued, not noticing how annoyed the other girl was. "I mean, all I want is a fucking apology. Is that too much to ask?"

Before Michelle could answer, the door bell to her apartment rang. She silently thanked the Lord, as she went to get the door. As she did that, Nikki, who was carrying a box she just finished loading with stuff, called out to her, "I'll take this inside, kay?"

Michelle nodded impatiently, and opened the door. Just as she expected, on the other side were Stephen and Punk, who, at the sight of her, turned to face his friend, with an accusing expression on his face.

"What is _she_ doing here?" asked Punk, obviously annoyed. "I thought you said we were going to a friend of yours. You hate her!"

Michelle rolled her eyes, "You're oh-so-subtle. Just get in."

Punk and Stephen did as she asked, the latter sending her a questioning look. Michelle ignored him, as she explained, "I have some heavy furniture that I need some help with. You guys mind doing me a favour?"

"I don't even like you; why would I do that?" said Phil, glaring at Michelle.

She sighed, "Come on, please?"

Steve shrugged, and Phil glanced at him incredulously. Stephen rolled his eyes, and said, "Well, she's leaving soon. It can't hurt."

Phil muttered something under his breath, but he did follow Michelle over to the room she was leading them into. It wasn't until after he was inside the so-called room that he realised that it was just a storage closet of some sort, and that right across from him was none other than the bane of his existence, Nicole.

"What are you doing here?" he asked rudely, glaring at her.

Nikki was startled to hear somebody behind her; at first, she thought it was Michelle, but that hostile voice certainly wasn't Michelle's. She turned with an annoyed and slightly confused expression, retorting, "Last I checked, Michelle was _my _friend, not yours. What ar- Hey! What the hell!"

As Nicole was speaking, Michelle appeared behind Phil, with a wide grin on her face, and pushed him further inside roughly, before pulling the door shut. Before either of them could say anything, she shouted, "You're staying in there until you make up! There's a big water bottle on the top shelf, but that's all you get, losers!"

They heard footsteps approaching the door, before Steve's voice followed Michelle's, "Are you out of your mind? They'll kill each other!"

"Trust me, it's going to work," Michelle assured him, before adding to Nikki and Phil, "Behave, kiddies. Me and DumbDumb are going to be around . . . somewhere."

Nicole was seeing red by now. She took a couple of steps, which was all the closet allowed her really, and pushed Phil aside, saying loudly, "DumbDumb's got one thing right. This. Is. _Not. _Going. To. Work. Got it? Now let me out."

There was a moment of silence, before the sound of the apartment's door slamming shut greeted their ears. Nikki all but kicked the closet's door. She turned to face Phil, glaring at him murderously, "This is all your fault." She frowned, asking, "Why the hell are you smiling, you idiot?"

Phil was standing uncomfortably against the shelves, but a wide, ridiculous grin was spread across his face. He couldn't hold it any longer, even though he knew Nikki was just about ready to kill him. He burst out laughing. However, when the blonde looked like she was going to erupt . . . again . . . Phil attempted to regain his composure.

"Sorry . . . sorry, whoa . . . don't look at me like that, you're scary," Phil had to fight the urge to laugh again, as he explained, "Come on, this is hilarious. Do you honestly think they'll leave us here for long? Between you and me, I think McCool just wants an excuse to be alone with Steve. They'll be back in no time."

However, as hilarious as Phil found the situation, Nicole didn't seem to agree. Her anger simmered down a little bit, but she didn't look any happier, as she slid down to sit, knees pulled up against her chest, her back against the door. She rolled her eyes, "You're messed up, Punk."

Phil's grin faded a little, as he studied Nicole. He gingerly sat down as well, facing her. "I don't really get why you're making way too big a deal of this."

Nikki sent him a sharp look, before rolling her eyes and resting her head back, eyes closed, "Whatever."

"I can't apologize for something I don't regret doing," stated Phil. He could see her jaw twitching, but she said nothing so he continued, "Did I want it to get so complicated? No, obviously, but I also didn't want you to meet Jackson. He's an asshole; he would have just pissed you off or something."

"Runs in the family, doesn't it?" said Nikki, with a wry smirk. She looked Phil in the eye, "You know what I think? I think you're lying. I think Jackson isn't as bad as you make him out to be. I think _you're _the asshole, and you're scared if I meet him I'll see you for what you really are." Nicole shrugged, adding, "Guess I didn't really have to meet him after all."

The shadow of amusement that was left in Phil's face vanished. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He sneered at Nikki, "_Fine_. If that's what you want to believe, then fine."

"It's not what I _want_ to believe! Damn it, Phil, I just want to know that if something like this happens again, you won't go making up stuff just because you're afraid I'll be upset or whatever the hell goes through your mind!" Nikki was just frustrated and confused by now. If she was completely honest, she really had no idea what exactly she wanted after all.

"I can't make that promise," replied Phil. "You need to trust me! I wouldn't hide something from you unless it was for your own good."

"You don't get to decide that for me, and it's about time you accepted that fact," stated Nikki heatedly.

"All I'm trying to do is look out for you. Is that so bad?"

"Yes. Dammit, yes!" Nicole stood up, and raised her arms in frustration. "You'd think after the incident with Mike, you would get the message. I don't need you to protect me all the time. I'm fully capable of 'looking out' for my own self!"

"Yet every time I look the other way, you get in trouble one way or the other. Yeah, you have it all under control," said Phil sarcastically, standing up as well.

Nikki glared back at him for a while, before turning to speak to the door, "Michelle, your little trick isn't going to work. Open the door."

There was a moment of silence, before Steve's voice asked, confused, "How did she . . .?"

"I can see your feet under the door, or Michelle's, whatever," Nikki answered.

Without another word, they heard the lock click, before Michelle pulled the door open. The expression of amusement that was previously playing along her face was replaced by a more serious one. Nicole didn't bother saying anything, as she pushed past her friends, and out of the apartment.

**% % % % %**

Nicole wasn't sure how long she walked around aimlessly in Louisville, but eventually, she found herself in a park. Her anger and annoyance at the world had finally simmered down enough for her to realise how tired she was, so she took a seat on one of the benches. She sat that way for a while, just thinking. There was a lot swirling around in her mind, even after all this walking. She let out a long sigh, and began people watching. That was when she saw him.

It took a few seconds for all the fury that an hour of walking, give or take, to come back, when she spotted him. There he was, leaning against a tree, with his back to her, and his hair tied back. Like she wouldn't recognize him just because he changed his appearance a bit. Determined to give him yet another piece of her mind, Nikki stood up and marched up to him, tapping him on the shoulder, and saying, even before he fully turned around, "You think just because you changed up your clothes and tied your hair I wouldn't recognize you? Why the hell are you following me?"

When he turned around fully, looking at her with confusion evident in his face, he asked, "Pardon?"

Nikki took a step back, and realised she made an embarrassing mistake. Her cheeks began to redden, as she said feebly, "And you're not Phil . . . I . . .uhm." It didn't take a genius to figure out who this was. "You're Jackson Brooks, aren't you?"

"Hi." Jackson looked very uncomfortable, and Nicole really couldn't blame him. This was awkward. "I can't say I know who you are. But I can guess. Girlfriend of my brother?"

Nikki laughed weakly, and shook her head, "No, no. Just a friend . . . or maybe not. I'm not too happy with him at the moment."

Jackson chuckled along with her, "I gathered as much. Hey, you wouldn't happen to know where my brother lives, would you? I've been trying to get a hold of him for a while. I think his cell phone is dead, or lost or something."

Nikki rolled her eyes, "Or he's just an asshole and is ignoring you. Sorry. But I do know where he lives. I live there too, after all."

"Oh?" Jackson looked at her dubiously, "I thought you said you weren't his girlfriend?"

"I'm not. Just a roommate, that's all," Nikki said, smiling. "Uhm, I can take you there, if you'd like?"

"Oh, can you? That would be great, thank you very much," said Jackson, smiling thankfully.

Nikki nodded, smiling brightly, "Yeah, it's no problem."

"Great! My rental is this way."

As Nikki followed Jackson, she was beginning to seriously doubt what Phil told her about him. Those things she said in the storage closet, she mostly said them to get under his skin, but now, she was sort of starting to believe it.

In front of her, and away from her sight, Jackson smirked in triumph. Phil won't know what hit him when he sees the two of them together.

* * *

_**A/N**_

_Yay, I'm getting better at the updating...I hope lol  
_

_Thank you to **wades wife** for reviewing. And thanks to everyone who reads, faves, and all that jazz. _

_You guys rock!  
_

_Hope you all enjoyed it. Please review :) _

_-xoxo, Lillian!_


	27. Chapter 27: Bad Decisions

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, Vince, or whoever THE man is lol. Point is, I DONT own them. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

* * *

After Nicole stormed out of Michelle's place, Phil and Stephen did end up staying a little bit to help her out with the packing. None of them said much, but they all knew their thoughts were along the same wavelengths. Michelle really didn't know what to think; at first, she fully sided with her friend, but as she watched Phil out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but feel bad for him.

After a while, Steve and Phil left and went out to lunch. Once they were done eating, Steve glanced at his watch, and said, "We should probably head back now. We still have some packing to do."

Phil nodded silently and followed his friend to his car. As they neared their home, he frowned; there was a blue, unfamiliar car parked in front of their place. He glanced at Stephen, who was wearing a similar expression.

They unlocked the door and entered carefully, but there was no one inside the house. After a moment, Phil could hear voices coming from the backyard. Steve made his way over there before him, as Phil locked the door first before following. He could tell that something was up just from his friend's expression as he approached him. Phil sent him a questioning look, before turning to see what was up. Or rather, who.

His entire demeanour changed as his eyes fell on none other than his _dear _brother, standing in front of the barbeque, making something. It wasn't the fact that Jackson was using it that bothered Phil; it was the picture of him and Nikki, standing side by side, laughing like the best of friends.

It was happening again. Jackson was stealing from him again. It kept happening, over and over and over again.

Phil didn't even realise he had been glaring daggers at his brother until the latter turned and said brightly, "Philly! And Steve! Good, you guys are just in time. The burgers are just about ready."

Steve, who had been standing silently, his eyes darting from Phil to Jackson, laughed nervously. He stuck his hands in his pocket, and said, "Uhh, thanks, Jackson. But we just had lunch. What are you doing here?"

It was Nicole who answered, shrugging, "I ran into him in the park downtown. He said he's been trying to get a hold of you," She sent Phil an icy look, ignoring the twinge of guilt that came upon seeing his dismayed expression. "I thought I'd help him out; he told me all about what a great brother you've been to him, helping him in his time of need. He's so grateful."

Nikki's sarcasm wasn't lost on Phil. But neither was the game Jackson was playing. He was trying to make _him_ out to be the bad guy, just like Nikki already thought. He also highly doubted Jackson 'accidently' ran into her at the park. It was just too great of a coincidence.

"Oh, did he now?" said Phil, not bothering to hide his hostility. He probably wasn't helping his case, but right now, he didn't care. "Funny, that was never the impression I got. Aren't you supposed to be going back to your family?"

"Well, yeah, but my friend had some things to do, and we're taking his car. Dont wanna drive a rental all the way there," Jackson flipped the burgers, before taking them out, and placing them in a plate Nicole was holding. "So I figured I'd spend some time with you. I hardly ever see you, after all."

"Yeah, Phil. The least you could do is appreciate an attempt to be kind," said Nikki. "I know it's sort of difficult for you to understand such concepts, but you can _try_."

"I'll keep that in mind," Phil retorted sarcastically. He glared at his brother, "Quit trying to act like the good guy here, and get out of my house. You got what you want; what more do you need?"

Jackson opened his mouth to respond, when Nikki cut him off, "Last I recalled, I pay as much rent as you do for this place." She smirked at Phil's frustrated expression, adding, "Jackson's _my_ guest, so butt out."

"No, Nik, it's cool," said Jackson, shaking his head. "Phil's right. He has every reason to be angry at me. I shouldn't have come."

Phil nearly lost it right then and there. Nik? Jackson called her Nik! Nobody he knew called her that save for him! And yet there was Jackson, playing the part of the 'good guy' so well, it made him sick. And Nikki was falling for it, just like that. She wasn't just falling for it; he could tell that she was freaking using it against him. Phil was literally inches away from strangling his brother, when he felt Stephen's restraining hand on his shoulder. His friend tacitly shook his head. Phil relaxed a little, before shrugging off Steve's hand, and walking back inside, with a sickened expression.

As he climbed the stairs, he could faintly hear Steve attempting to lighten the mood, "So . . . what have you been up to, Jackson?"

Phil shook his head as he slammed the door to his room shut. Angrily, he changed into his gym clothes, before heading out to try and blow off some steam. He hardly thought it was going to work, but at least there will be a considerable distance between him and Jackson; less chance of getting arrested for murdering the asshole.

**%%%%%**

Meanwhile, back at the house, Nicole and Stephen were sitting in the living room, watching some random TV show. Jackson had just excused himself to go use the bathroom, finally leaving them alone. Steve scanned the area to check for the elder Brooks. When he was sure the man wasn't around, he turned to glare at Nikki, almost as angrily as Phil was, "What the hell are you doing?"

Nikki looked at him, and shrugged, "Watching TV?"

"You know what I'm talking about. This is low, Nikki. You don't know anything about Phil and Jackson's relationship," Steve was rarely ever one to pick sides, but he was definitely sticking with his bestfriend on this. "You're really hurting him."

"By being nice to his brother?" Nikki retorted sceptically. "Usually people like that." When Steve gave her a look, she rolled her eyes, and amended, "Fine, I get it, they don't get along, but I haven't seen anything to make me hate Jackson like you guys do. When I do, I'll join Team Punk, but for now . . ."

Steve now understood why Phil got so frustrated with Nicole so often. She was impossible when her mind was made up. Still, he tried to reason with her, "Jackson is a great actor. He's not being nice to you because he's that kind of guy. He's only doing it to get between you and Phil. Trust me; you don't want anything to do with him."

Nikki's jaw was set, as she turned off the TV, and turned on Steve, "Jackson's not getting between anything. Phil did that all on his own. Now if you please, either shut up, or go away. I know what I'm doing."

Stephen wanted to shake her and yell at her that no, in fact, she didn't know what she was doing, but he could tell that no matter what he said, Nikki wasn't changing her mind. In fact, he reckoned she'll just get even more stubborn if he kept on going. But just because she was a lost cause, it didn't mean he couldn't give her a piece of his mind. Glaring angrily, he said, "What you're doing is being a vindictive bitch. Just quit it before you cause even more damage."

Nicole's eyes flashed dangerously, "Fine, I'm a bitch, whatever. I'm not doing anything wrong, I'm simply making new friends. If Phil can't handle that, then he needs to grow up."

"You idiot!" Steve's voice was rising slightly, which startled Nikki. She wasn't sure she ever saw him this angry. "Jackson is bad news. You don't want to get entangled in that web, trust me. Phil's just trying to help."

Nicole rolled her eyes, ignoring him and turning on the TV again. Sighing, Steve stood up, looking down at her, defeated. Soon after, Jackson joined them again. Steve rolled his eyes, before leaving the room. He did not want to sit there and watch as Jackson kept up his impeccable act, almost fooling him as well. Stephen had been there before; it wasn't going to work again.

**%%%%%**

The rest of that day passed quite uneventfully, as Phil spent most of it outside, returning only when Jackson's car was gone from their driveway. Sure, it was tense as hell, but in Stephen's mind, it was slightly better than having him and Nicole go at it again. He did feel for his friend, however; Steve could tell this was really getting to Phil, but everytime he tried to say something to Nikki, she shot him down. Phil wasn't helping either; he stayed locked up in his room for the rest of the night and most of the next morning.

Phil had been awake for quite some time that morning; he just didn't feel like dragging himself out of bed and having to face yet another day of incessant snide remarks, and the possibility of running into Jackson again. He had pretty much figured out that he wasn't going to accomplish anything by talking to Nikki about this, or at least that's what he thought. So long as Jackson kept playing the good guy, and with her already annoyed at Phil for trying to look out for her, the chances of them having a civil conversation were slim to none. But of course, it didn't mean he couldn't keep an eye out without her knowing . . .

After a while, Phil did get out to find both his roommates busy packing up their stuff. He really didn't feel like doing that right now, which wasn't very wise, if he thought about it, since he was supposed to catch a flight in two days. Then again, he still had the following weekend to pack up some more. After a hasty breakfast, Phil decided to go to his favourite place in Louisville: yes, the gym. It was honestly the only thing that worked at helping him clear his head.

With his bag slung over his shoulder, Phil left the house, intending to jog all the way to the gym. However, as he was leaving, Jackson's blue car was entering their driveway. Again. Phil bit back a sigh, and slowed down, demanding, as soon as his brother was out of the car, "What is it now? You've successfully ruined my week. Mission accomplished; now leave."

Jackson looked around, making sure the coast is clear, before turning to face his brother with a sneer, "Phil, why does it always have to be about you? I'm just here to pick up my friend."

"Oh? Where are you going?" asked Phil, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Nik has been so lovely; she's helping me pick out some gifts for Ryan and Monica," Jackson replied, referring to his wife and son. He didn't even bother to hide a smirk as his brother bristled in anger in front of him.

"I understand why you enjoy torturing me, even if it is twisted," stated Phil, trying hard to keep his voice level. "But please leave Nikki out of this."

"Ah, but where's the fun in that?" said Jackson. "Now if you'll excuse me, my new friend, your _former_ friend, is waiting inside. Wouldn't want her to find out you're bothering me, would you?"

Phil's hands were balled into fists, as he warned Jackson, "Just don't hurt her. I mean it, Jackson, I won't keep holding back if you do."

Jackson snorted, waving him off, as he sprinted to the front door. Phil watched him carefully; well, at least he knew what he was going to be doing today. Never had he imagined he would willingly keep Jackson within reach, but he had to. Just to be safe.

**%%%%%**

Steve sat inside his room, packing up some more, even though he was really getting sick of it. Unfortunately for him, leaving his room meant encountering Nicole and Jackson, who was being oh-so-kind by helping her pack, since she was leaving tomorrow. He supposed he could go out there, but Steve didn't know if he could resist saying one thing or the other, and getting in trouble. He knew Phil was very private about Jackson and his family, so he had no idea how much Nikki knew of that.

When his phone started ringing, Stephen nearly sang in joy; he was getting so bored! He reached for it, answering, "Punkster. You can't stay out forever, you know."

"Yeah, whatever," was Phil's answer. "Are they still home?"

"Yep," Steve hesitated, before adding, "I think you should come down here. Jackson's totally casting such a bad light on you."

"Yeah, big shocker there. What's he doing now?"

"He's playing the whole remorseful card," Steve was sickened just thinking about it. "Saying how he doesn't blame you for being a jerk, and asking Nicole for 'advice' about it. It's making me hurl."

There was a moment of silence, before Phil spoke again, "Whatever. If I do anything, I'll just help his cause."

"You're the only one who can play this game as well as he does," reasoned Steve. "You need to get here."

"Jackson may be a pro at this lying thing, but he's also impatient," stated Phil. "He'll slip up soon, I'm sure."

"Hold on," Steve frowned, and went to press his ear to his door, listening in on Nikki's and Jackson's conversation. After he heard all he needed, he went back to his bed, "Yeah, that's not happening anytime soon. He just invited her out for dinner to 'celebrate her new job'."

Again, Phil remained silent, until Steve nearly jumped as he heard him dropping something on the other line, before saying, "Find out where and when they're going and text me. Bye." Without waiting for a response, Phil hung up. Steve guessed that he was probably going to go kick at a few things before coming back home.

**%%%%%**

Nikki had just finished doing her make-up, and hair, for her dinner with Jackson. For one reason or the other, she felt pretty tense about the whole thing. It was probably because a part of her felt pretty guilty about purposely taking a stab at Phil by befriending his brother. But whenever that feeling got too immense, she reminded herself that she really has yet to see something so terribly wrong about Jackson. Until she did, she really couldn't judge, could she?

After checking her hair in the mirror one last time, Nikki grabbed her purse and went downstairs. She was rummaging through the bag to check for her keys, when she nearly ran into none other than Phil. Startled, she stepped back, "Hey. Sorry, I wasn't looking."

Phil had just gotten back from the gym and showered ten minutes ago, with every intention of spying on Nicole and Jackson tonight. However, she didn't need to know that; a voice in the back of his mind reminded him that this was one of the roots of his and Nikki's problems, but he chose to forget that.

"Going somewhere?" he asked.

"Uhm, yeah. Just going out for dinner," Nikki replied.

"Oh. Aren't you leaving tomorrow?" Phil raised a critical eyebrow.

Nikki shrugged, "Not till late afternoon. Plus, I won't be out long."

"Yeah, whatever," Phil walked over to the couch, "Taking Steve's car?"

"No, I have a ride."

"Oh? Who?"

"Cab. I called when I was upstairs," said Nikki hastily.

Phil smirked, "You're a terrible liar." He glanced at the window, "Your ride is here. Say hello to my brother for me."

Nikki stared back at Phil like she had something to say, but as the bell rung, she apparently decided against it, and waved at him once, before leaving. Phil glanced at his watch; he would give it ten, maybe fifteen minutes, then he was so going to be on their tail.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

_Aaah, with all the CM Punk stuff on TV, my muse is going crazy lol.**  
**_

_Thanks to **MishaMuse**,** StephNexus**,** Freakin' Yoda**,** Swanton Bany**, and **TwinPhoenixofDark** for reviewing. And, as always, thanks to everyone who reads, faves, and all that jazz. _

_You guys rock!  
_

_Hope you all enjoyed it. Please review :) _

_-xoxo, Lillian!_


	28. Chapter 28: Misunderstanding

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, Vince, or whoever THE man is lol. Point is, I DONT own them. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

* * *

Jackson watched the young blonde out of the corner of his eye, as she sat across from him. They were in a popular bar and grill, downtown, and while everyone around them was loud and boisterous, he couldn't help but notice that Nicole had been increasingly quiet since they got here. He knew it had to be Phil; he was always ruining his fun. Luckily, he had the perfect way to remedy it.

"I think I'll go get myself something to drink from the bar," Jackson stood up, "Would you like anything?"

Nikki shook her head, smiling bemusedly, "I shouldn't be drinking. I had a bit of a wild night a few days ago."

Jackson chuckled, "Oh, come on. Just one drink, my treat."

Nikki hesitated, before shrugging, "Alright. One drink, you pick."

Jackson grinned, nodding. He was back less than ten minutes later, saying, as he handed her her glass, "Here you go." He raised his glass of vodka to hers, adding, "To a new chapter in your life."

Nikki grinned, "Cheers." She sipped at her drink slowly, and began chatting with Jackson aimlessly, all the while her heart not really into the conversation. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched, but after scanning the area a few times, she attributed it to her simply being paranoid. A few minutes after she finished her drink, though, she began feeling sort of lightheaded, a little more than she should after only one drink.

Jackson must have noticed this, as he leaned forward, frowning, "Are you okay?"

"Uhm, I think I'm catching something," Nikki grimaced. "I feel sort of weird."

"Oh," Jackson's frown deepened. He glanced at his watch, "If you want, I can take you back home. It is getting pretty late, after all."

Nikki nodded, and began gathering her stuff, "Yeah, that'd be nice." As she stood up, however, she stumbled a little bit, but Jackson managed to support her. "Whoa. That drink must have been a little stronger than I expected."

Jackson chuckled, wrapping at arm around Nicole's waist, and said, "It's alright, I got you."

As they walked out, Nikki began feeling less and less stable, and Jackson's voice, as he made casual conversation, seemed to come from farther away than it should. She really needed to get home. However, as they rounded a corner, she frowned slightly, before stopping, "Hey . . . weren't you parked on the left side?" Nikki could swear they came from the opposite direction earlier that night.

Jackson raised an eyebrow, surprised that she was even remotely aware of her surroundings. He shrugged it off, though, deciding that there wasn't much she could do about it anymore. For the very first time since he met Nicole, he spoke with a little bit of malice, "You're quite right, sweetheart. But we're gonna go somewhere special tonight, okay? Great." Without any warning, he swept her off her feet, and continued walking in the wrong direction.

Nikki felt odd. She knew that she should be resisting Jackson as he took her the other way, at least until he explained what he was talking about, but she couldn't seem to get her body to work with her. Her reactions seemed to be way too slow. She stirred slightly, but she just couldn't get her feet back on the ground. Slowly, it dawned on her, "You . . . you put something . . . in my . . . drink?"

It was a statement, albeit a weak, slurred one, rather than a question. Jackson snorted, and didn't bother denying it, "You're a smart cookie, aren't you?" After they turned around another corner, he put her back on her feet, pushing her roughly, continuing, "Yes, honey, I did. I thought I can charm my way with you, but you're way too stubborn, and frankly, I'm too impatient. Now how about we make some use of that and have us some fun?"

**%%%%%**

Meanwhile, Phil had also left the restaurant a few minutes after he watched his brother leading Nicole out. There was something off about the way they left; he couldn't quite place his finger on it, but he was still very suspicious. When he first got here to spy on them, he'd felt almost relieved; Jackson was behaving himself, but he still had a nagging feeling that something was wrong. As he walked through the cars in the parking lot, planning to take a friend's car that he had borrowed and go home, his eyes fell on Jackson's blue rental. Frowning in suspicion, he stopped by the car, checking to see if it was empty; it was. That was when the panic really started to settle in the pit of his stomach; they should be on their way back home by now.

Phil started walking back to the restaurant to try and trace Nikki's and Jackson's steps, when he heard a kid saying loudly to his parents, "Hey, isn't that the same guy with the girl? Didn't he just go that way?"

Immediately, not caring how weird and creepy he looked, Phil reached over to grab the boy's shoulder, asking, "Where? Where did you see Jac- me, where did you see me going?"

The kid looked scared, and his parents were outraged, but he did point to the direction of an alley. Phil thanked him and headed that way himself. This wasn't good; he didn't recall there being anywhere that they might be going to in that vicinity.

He kept walking until he heard his brother's voice. Phil quickened his steps, and stood behind a wall, peeking quietly. He knew that Nikki wouldn't be pleased to see him if everything was alright. However, one glance told him that everything was most definitely _not_ alright.

Nicole was pinned against the wall, looking slightly limp even from where he was standing, with Jackson fumbling with the buttons of her shirt, saying with a snort, "One day, you'll thank me for showing you how cruel this world is. Really, I'm just doing you a favour."

Phil was seeing red. All thoughts of laying low and hiding evaporated, as he ran in to ambush his brother, yelling, "Jackson, you fucking asshole!"

Jackson was startled, as he turned to face his younger brother, saying in annoyance, "I really should have gues –oof!"

Phil's fist connected with Jackson's jaw, successfully pushing him away from Nikki, but sending the girl sprawling to the floor. He tried to catch her before her head connected with the concrete, but as Jackson regained his balance and retaliated, Phil fell flat on his back as well. He glared up at his brother, hatred evident in his eyes, "I told you to leave her alone, dammit. Your issues are with me, not her!"

"But she matters to you, doesn't she?" Jackson nursed his jaw, his eyes glinting, "And that makes her fair game, little bro. You should know by now."

Phil lunged for Jackson, and started punching at him viciously, just wanting to cause as much damage as possible. Jackson rolled him over, doing the same, but he suddenly stopped, listening carefully. Sirens. Cursing, Jackson stood up quickly, and grabbed his jacket, making a run for it.

Phil was confused, until he too heard the sirens. Not too concerned by them, he crawled over to where Nicole was laying unconscious, and tried to shake her awake. But before he could do much, he heard footsteps, and then two strong hands were pulling him away from her.

A man's voice greeted his ears, "Sir, you're under arrest for the charges of illicit drug use and sexual assault." Phil stared at the man vacantly as he began to recite his rights for him.

As one of the cops handcuffed him, another one called out, "Bring the waitress. We need her to identify him."

Phil frowned, and was about to ask them what they were talking about, when a young girl showed up. The cop pushed Phil into the light, in front of her, asking, "Is this the guy you saw putting something in his date's drink?"

"I . . . I think so," the girl hesitated, "I could swear he was wearing a blue shirt, but . . ." The girl peered at him, before nodding, and stating more firmly, "Yes, it's him."

"No, it's not. She saw my brother," Phil said, infuriated at Jackson, now that he knew what really happened. He drugged Nicole! The damn bastard! Phil struggled a little bit, before giving up, but he still said, "She was out having dinner with my brother; he's the one who drugged her."

"And you just happened to conveniently be around?" the cop said sceptically. "Right. Just keep quiet, kid. Talking back won't help you."

Phil swore quietly under his breath, as he watched a pair of paramedics haul Nikki on a stretcher and walk away with her. As the cop pushed him forward, he bit back a frustrated sigh. His life just kept getting better and better.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

_So, when I said Jackson was impatient, I really meant it. _

_As always, thanks to everyone who's read, fave-ed this, or whatever. Special thank you to** MishaMuse, TwinPhoenixofDark, DarkAngelMel2, Freakin' Yoda, **and** StephNexus.**_

_Also,** Freakin' Yoda**: that Zack Ryder reference totally made my day XDD Glad you're enjoying the story!**  
**_


	29. Chapter 29: Taking Chances

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, Vince, or whoever THE man is. Point is, I DONT own them. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

* * *

"Mr. Brooks. Are you ready to talk to us now?"

Phil, who was sitting on the floor of a cell, glanced up at the cop with a tired look about his face. He shrugged, "I've got nothing new to say. I didn't attack her; I saved her. My brother was the one who drugged her."

The cop sighed, "You do realise you have no evidence whatsoever to back you up? Jessica, the waitress, said she saw you putting something in Miss Valentine's drink."

Phil bit back a rude retort, and said through his teeth, "That was my brother. We look a lot alike."

"Right," the cop shook his head, "You better hope the young lady wakes up and tells us the same story, otherwise, fraud will be another charge against you."

Phil rolled his eyes, before stopping the cop as he walked out, "Wait. I'd like to make my phone call now."

The cop looked at him long and hard, before obliging. Phil didn't really think much could come out of this, but the least he could do is let Stephen know where he and Nikki were. It took him forever to answer, but finally, he did pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Steve, it's me, Punk."

"Phil! Where the hell have you been? Listen, I don't know how to tell you this, but, uhhh . . . Nikki's in the hospital."

Phil would have laughed if the situation was different, but he settled for saying, "Yeah, I know."

"I'm sor- wait, you know? How do you know? And why aren't you here then?"

"I'm the one who found her. Long story short, I'm sort of, well, in jail."

"What the fuck are you talking about? Why?"

"Bad timing, stupid cops, don't worry. I'm hoping once Nikki's awake it'll clear up. How's she doing?"

"I don't know, they called me like, five minutes ago, I'm going to check on her now."

"Alright," Phil sighed.

"I'll be with you after I make sure she's fine, don't worry."

"What. . . no- Steve?" Phil rolled his eyes. He hung up in him.

**%%%%%**

Nicole was awake, after what felt like ages. She wasn't particularly sure how long she had been out, or where she was, but she assumed that she was in her room. Something was off, she could tell, but even so, she really didn't feel like opening her eyes. It was just so much nicer to sleep.

"I'm sorry, I'm not letting you disturb her until she's out of my hospital!"

"Sir, you don't understand. We need to ask her a few questions. It's for her own safety."

"As long as she's in here, she's safe. I'm sorry officer, but I'd like you to leave now."

Nikki frowned, not entirely sure what that was about . . . or who it was, as a matter of fact. Begrudgingly, she opened her eyes. She looked around the room; this was definitely not her bed. She was in a hospital; why was she in a hospital? Nikki began to panic, as she tried to make sense of this, just as a soft voice graced her ears.

"Oh, good, Miss Valentine, you're awake," the young nurse said. "Let me just check your vitals here, then I'll get you something to eat or drink, if you'd like."

Nikki nodded slowly, and let the nurse do her job. Still slightly confused, she asked, "Why exactly am I here?" She was vaguely aware of the fact that the left side of her head was pounding.

"You don't remember what happened last night?" asked the nurse nervously.

Nikki was about to shake her head no, when she realised that she did in fact remember what happened. The nurse must have noticed this, as she nodded, and added comfortingly, "Don't worry, the police got there right on time, honey."

"The police? I thought . . ." Nikki trailed off, noting the sympathetic look on the nurse's face. "Nevermind. Can I get some water?"

The nurse nodded and left. Nicole fell back against the pillow, and tried to put the pieces together. However, she had barely been alone for a few minutes, when someone walked in again. This time, it was a cop. Nikki sat up, looking around warily, when a doctor walked in behind him.

"Sir! I thought I made it clear; I don't want you disturbing my patient! Leave now."

Nicole glanced briefly between the two, before saying, "Uhm . . . it's okay. I don't mind." The officer looked triumphant, while the doctor opened his mouth to argue, but Nikki stopped him, "It's fine, really. I mean, how long can it take?"

The doctor was obviously not happy, but he still walked out, muttering under his breath. Nikki turned to face the officer, who gave her a small smile, before saying, "Miss Valentine. My name is Officer Williams. I just have a few questions about last night. Do you remember what happened?"

Nikki nodded, "Yeah, I was out for dinner, and then when we left-"

Williams stopped her, asking, "You were out for dinner with Mr. Brooks, correct?"

Nicole nodded. Williams wrote something on a clipboard, before asking, "Can you tell me what's the last thing you remember before leaving the restaurant?"

"Uhm . . . he bought us drinks. And I'd just finished it, when I started feeling weird; I knew it wasn't the alcohol, but I didn't realise he put something in it until later," replied Nicole.

"And then?"

"He said he'd take me home, but I was conscious enough to realise we were going the wrong way," Nicole said. "Then he dragged me over to some dark place, and I'm not too sure what happened, but I remember trying to push him off of me, and then . . . then I think, I heard Phil's voice yelling at him . . . and that's all I remember."

"Wait." Officer Williams looked quite confused. "Phil? As in Phillip Brooks?" Nikki nodded. "Were you out to dinner with Phillip Brooks or not?"

Nicole's eyes widened, as she shook her head, "No, I was with Jackson, his brother. Why?"

"Miss Valentine, the man we have in custody is Phillip Brooks. Are you sure he's not the one who drugged you?"

"Oh, God, no," Nikki shook her head, "Of course not. I was with Jackson. He's the one you should be locking up. Phil didn't do anything."

The Officer looked pretty annoyed, as he stared at his clipboard. He sighed, shaking his head, and thanked her, before standing up and making a phone call. She couldn't quite tell what he was saying, until the very end. "Yeah . . . let him go. The guy was telling the truth. No, even the waitress wasn't sure last night, remember? He's innocent. Hell, he may have actually saved her. Damn." Nikki almost smiled at that; Williams didn't seem to be happy about that last bit.

Shortly after the officer left, the doctor came back. He smiled at her, and explained, "Your vitals look pretty good. I'm going to do a few more tests, and observe you for another hour or so, then you can go home."

Nikki nodded, before resting back on her pillow, after glancing at the clock; well, there's no way she's making her flight to Raw. That was going to be fun to explain to the big guys!

**%%%%%**

Phil couldn't fall asleep. It was past one in the morning, and he just couldn't fall asleep, which was bad, considering the fact that he was travelling later that day. After he called Stephen last night, his friend came and tried to get the cops to let him out, but nothing worked. Phil wasn't panicking, but Steve was, which cracked him up. The only thing that sucked really was having to wait overnight and well into the next morning until Nicole woke up and cleared his name. For a moment, Phil had actually wondered if maybe she did wake up and decided he deserved to be locked up; he didn't think Nikki was the type to do that, but he still worried. But fortunately, it turned out that it just took her a little longer to wake up than expected. What bothered Phil, though, was that after they had all gotten home, he could easily tell that Nikki was doing her best to avoid him. He pondered cornering her again, but then he remembered that the last time he did that, she ended up kicking him in the nuts. Yeah, he wasn't doing that again.

After another ten minutes of no sleep, Phil sighed, getting off of bed; he was thirsty. He made his way downstairs to the kitchen, and was in the process of pouring himself a glass of water, when he heard movement in the backyard. Not just any random creature, like a squirrel or a raccoon, but footsteps. Human footsteps. Phil warily walked toward the door and pulled it open abruptly. He did not know who to expect, but he was still surprised to see Nicole on the other side, her arm reaching for the door, and her eyes mirroring his own surprise, as well.

"Hey," she said.

Phil stepped back to allow her to enter, "Hey." He looked at her in bewilderment, and asked, "What the hell are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"

Nikki shrugged, closing the door, then leaning back against it, "Nothing. Couldn't sleep, and the moon was pretty." She paused briefly, before adding, "The doctor said that might happen. Side effect from the allergy meds they gave me."

"What, a fascination with the moon?" Phil said, smirking slightly.

He hid it well, but he still felt like throttling someone everytime he thought about what happened to Nicole. Not only did his idiot of a brother drug and attempt to rape her, but it turned out that Nikki nearly went into respiratory arrest last night after his arrest, an allergic reaction to whatever the asshole put in her drink.

Nikki rolled her eyes, smiling briefly, "No, the restlessness, not being able to sleep. But I figured I'll make up for it on the flight to Seattle." She began twirling a strand of her hair around her index finger, a habit Phil noticed that she only did when she was nervous. Before he could comment on that, she asked, "What about you?"

Phil studied her curiously, as he raised his water glass, "Thirsty. Are you okay?"

Nicole opened her mouth to assure him that she was just fine, but instead what came out instead was, "No, I'm not actually. I'm an idiot."

Phil raised an eyebrow, "Well, I know _that. _But why is it suddenly bothering you?"

"Stop," Nikki said, looking at him sombrely, "I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you."

"I know," Phil sighed in defeat, "But I've come to dread those; they always seem to end with one of us yelling at the other."

Nikki sort of felt bad about that, but then she reminded herself that he was just as responsible for that as she was. Still, she needed to get something off of her chest.

"I'm sorry," Nicole looked pretty distressed, and Phil wasn't exactly sure why, until she began explaining, "I was an idiot; I should have listened to you and Steve when you warned me about Jackson." Nikki hesitated, before continuing, "Although in my defence, it's partly your fault for _lying _to me, but that's beside the point. You didn't need to be there; I should have dealt with the consequences of my mistake. And I'm sorry that you had to be burdened by that."

As she spoke, Phil's initial amusement with the whole situation gradually began to dissapear with every word. He appreciated the apology, until she explained that she was basically apologizing for 'burdening' him, for him having to save her, instead of for her refusing to believe him. Then, he was pretty annoyed.

Phil narrowed his eyes at her, saying, "Oh yeah, how could I do such a thing? Everyone needs to experience getting drugged and subsequently raped at least once in their lifetime! Who am I to prevent such important life lessons?"

"That's not what I said, "Nicole retorted sharply. "I'm glad you were there, but the fact of the matter is you shouldn't have been. Especially considering the fact that the only reason I was even out with Jackson, the only reason I was befriending him at all was to get back at you. I'm a horrible person, and you should be mad at me, not 'saving' me."

Phil was completely preplexed by the way Nikki's mind worked. For a few seconds, he was at a loss for words, before shaking his head at her, "Well, congrats! Now I am mad, but apparently, not for the right reasons." He reached over to place both his hands on either of her shoulders, looking directly into her eyes, "I don't blame you at all for what happened last night. Sorry to disappoint you, but that was all Jackson. I'm just glad you're okay."

Nikki's frustration was clear as day in her eyes, as she insisted, "But that's just it! You shouldn't just let me off the hook; you should be upset that you had to go through all that, that you had to spend an entire night, and most of the day after, in jail. You shouldn't just forgive me! I was stupid, and stubborn; I was a fucking bitch to you, and you need to call me out on tha-"

There was just something about Nicole's rants that was incredibly adorable, and just a tad sexy. It was one of the very first things Phil noticed about her when he met her, when she was venting about her brother being a dick about lending her money. Phil didn't know if it was wise, but when it appeared that she was going to keep freaking out, he abruptly pulled her towards him, before pressing his lips against hers.

At first, Nikki appeared to be frozen, but she soon kissed him back. Phil grinned softly against her lips, before pulling away after a moment. She looked shaken, which didn't really surprise him too much. He tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, saying "I've wanted to do that for a while now, but you kept getting mad at me. It's pretty frustrating."

Nikki was quite surprised at how quickly the mood changed. She looked up at Phil, saying weakly, "It's not like you've never done it before."

Phil chuckled softly, "Yeah, but I felt guilty then. You know, Maria and stuff."

"Right," Nikki appeared to be speechless for a moment, before she tried to pull away from his grasp, "We can't do this."

"Oh, no, no way, you're not running away this time," Phil said, rolling his eyes, and grabbing her wrist before she walked away. He gently lifted Nikki's chin up so that he was looking down at her eyes, "I'm getting pretty tired of that too."

She looked up at him, uncertainty evident in her blue eyes, "We can't. Now, it feels right and completely logical, but when the morning comes, we'll both be on our way out. We'll be travelling different schedules, different cities. It's impossible."

"Only because you want it to be," replied Phil smoothly. It wasn't very easy to spot, but it was there. Nicole was hiding behind that excuse; he could see it. Whenever she got too close, she always pulled away; his only comfort was that he could tell she did it with everyone, even her so-called bestfriend, Michelle. "You won't know unless you give it a chance, unless you give me a chance."

"I can't," Nikki hated being put on the spot; she hated that Phil was now making this _her _decision. He wasn't leaving her any excuses. "I hate relatiosnhips; I can't hold down a normal one, let alone one that's bound to be as hectic as anything between the two of us would. And I like being your friend too much to mess it up like that."

Phil sighed, shaking his head, "I'm not the best either, I'm not claiming to be, but if you don't take a risk, well, that'll just suck, because trying to deny this is already coming between us. Soon, it'll be one too many beer baths from you, or maybe I'll end up punching one too many Mizanin's. You have to take a risk."

"I don't like those kinds of risks," Nicole complained. But Phil could see that she was pretty torn about it.

"Then let me take the risk," Phil smiled, "You can just tag along; you're good at that, aren't you?"

Nikki rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth were twitching, "Shut up."

"Come on, you know I'd never hurt you."

There were a million reasons why she should have just walked away, but Nicole couldn't deny that feeling that she got as she searched Phil's face. She couldn't deny how right this felt. Sure, she still had her issues with him trying to always 'protect' her, and she still had little to no faith in relationships, but he was right. How was she supposed to know for sure if she didn't try it herself? Despite her better judgement, Nikki shifted closer to Phil, saying, "You may have a point."

He grinned at her triumphantly, lifting her off of her feet, "Now was that so hard?" He laughed, before kissing her again. He knew it wasn't going to be the easiest thing to do, and god knows he was just as apprehensive about it as Nicole was, maybe even more. But for one reason or the other, at that moment, it didn't really matter.

* * *

**_A/N:_**

_So I'm a little bit overwhelmed by this past week._

_What with the amazing stuff going on with Punkee on TV/Twitter, and the response to the last chapter, I'm just ecstatic. I really am so grateful for you guys; your reviews are just so amazing, not to mention all the faves and stuff. You guys are the best._

_Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please review :) _

_-xoxo, Lillian!_


	30. Chapter 30: First Day

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE universe that might come up in the story. They belong to themselves, Vince, or whoever THE man is. Point is, I DONT own them. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

* * *

Being pretty young, Nicole had never really travelled that much. The move from Manhattan to Louisville was pretty huge for her, and as she stood in the middle of the airport in Seattle, it finally dawned on her that this was the feeling she was going to get from now on, at least until she got used to travelling. She wasn't sure how she felt about that; a part of her was excited, another sort of dreaded the instability. But Nicole knew one thing; once she got in the ring, in front of hundreds of people, it would all be worth it.

"Most people would put a little effort in their outfit their first day of work. Clearly, that's not your concern, now, is it?"

Nikki turned around, startled, only for a wide grin to appear on her face, as she spotted who was talking to her. She glanced down at her t-shirt and sweatpants, rolling her eyes, before looking back up at Mike Mizanin. She completely ignored his comment, reaching to pull him in a hug, and exclaiming, "Mikey!"

"Whoa, easy," Mike said, as he hugged her back lightly, "Don't want all the hot chicks around to think you're my girlfriend or something. Especially not when you look like that. And don't _ever_ call me 'Mikey'."

"You always know how to make a girl feel special, don't you?" said Nikki sarcastically, before granting him his wish and stepping away.

Mike shrugged, "I do, don't I? You're late, though!"

Nicole pulled her suitcases behind her, as she followed Mike out, "Yeah, the flight was delayed a little bit; sorry about that."

"You better be; if I get in trouble because of you, there's going to be hell to pay."

Instead of replying with a snide remark, Nikki grinned widely and stopped to once again pull Mike in another bone-crushing hug, "I actually forgot how much I missed your oh-so-sweet comments!"

"Control yourself woman," Mike said, but he did hug her back, before letting her go, "I know it's hard, seeing as I'm just so handsome, but try to, alright?"

"God, you're impossible!" exclaimed Nikki. "Shut up, and let's go, big head."

Mike gave Nikki a grin, before grabbing one of her suitcases, and leading the way to his car. He would never tell her, but her getting signed to the main rosters might just be the best thing that's happened to him over the last three months.

After they got to the car, and were finally driving to the hotel Nikki was staying in, the blonde girl turned to ask, "So how've you been? You do an awful job of 'keeping in touch'!"

Mike rolled his eyes, "Says the girl who I've been told has eyes only for a certain _punk._"

"Oh, is that so?" Nikki feigned a look of disbelief, "And who exactly is telling you this?"

"I have my ways of knowing," Mike said, winking.

"Whatever," replied Nikki, "It's not true." She poked her tongue out at him childishly.

"Of course not," Mike smirked, "Well, here we are! You don't really have much time, an hour tops, then we probably need to get to the arena."

"Great! I just need to put my stuff away," she gave Mike a look, adding, "And apparently, change into something different."

Mike grinned, as he followed Nikki into the hotel. He sat in the lounge, as she checked herself in, which took a little longer than expected. When she finally came back, he said, "Finally! What took you so long?"

"They had my name wrong; it's all good now," Nikki explained. "Let's go, Mister."

Once they were in the hotel room, Nikki carelessly opened her suitcase and started rummaging through it, throwing clothes around everywhere. Mike raised an eyebrow, commenting, once she finally seemed to pick something, "Do you do that everytime you change?"

"Only when there's an impatient egomaniac with me," replied Nikki. "I gotta shower. Don't go anywhere, and don't touch anything!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just hurry up."

Mike fell back on the bed, staring at the ceiling aimlessly, waiting. He really hated waiting. After a while, he heard the shower stopping, and Nicole speaking again.

"You never answered me, loser! How are things in Smackdown going?"

Mike scowled at the ceiling, glad that Nikki wasn't here to see him right at this moment. The truth was, his being called up to Smackdown was a huge disappointment. Sure, he was glad that he was no longer in developmental, but things around the locker room were so different from back there. Back in OVW, he and everyone else were more or less on the same level; here, Mike was the outsider, the Reality Star that didn't 'belong'. It made his blood boil, and at times, he just wanted to quit. He hoped things got a little better, now that he had a friendly face around in Nikki. Sure, she was on Raw, but the bookers were always making him work crazy house shows, on whichever show they were short on.

Instead of revealing any of that, Mike replied mildly, "It's alright. Pretty boring right now, but it should get interesting soon, hopefully."

Nikki finally got out, wearing a fresh pair of jeans and a tank top. She tilted her head, studying Mike, "Are you sure? You sound kind of off."

Mike sat up, "I'm just bored. And you still don't look good enough for the first day of work. Pick something stylish, woman!"

"I'll go naked if I want to," Nikki retorted, but she did go and pull out a purple transparent silk blouse, slipping it over her top.

"I don't think the guys would mind that actually."

"Ugh, pervert," Nikki rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, I've learned my lesson. No flirting with Nikki so long as Punk is around," Mike looked around the room, "Oh look, he's not here!"

Nikki laughed, as she began putting her shoes on, "He apologized for that, didn't he?" Mike shook his head, "Oh. Well, I'll make him."

"Right," Mike said dubiously. He glanced at her curiously, "I heard he broke up with his actual girlfriend. What's the deal with you guys now?"

At this, Nikki wasn't entirely sure how to answer, and she was sure it showed on her face. After she put on her sandals, she leaned back against the armchair she was sitting on, answering carefully, "I think we're . . . something."

"Something?"

"Well . . . I'm not entirely sure. But I do know that if I caught him with someone else, he'll have a lot to answer for, and vice versa."

Mike chuckled, "Of course. That's called _dating_, by the way."

"Right," Nikki wasn't entirely sure she was comfortable referring to her and Phil as such, "Whatever you say. I'm ready, let's go!"

Mike shook his head, before standing up to follow her out. For some reason, he was sort of disappointed to find out about Nicole and Punk. Almost as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he decided to push it to the back of his mind; he didn't need to deal with things like that right now.

**% % % % %**

At the Key Arena, Mike took Nikki on a bit of a tour, showing her all the places she would need to know for future reference, as they got there a little early. Once it was time, they went hunting down Creative, since Nikki still had no idea what she was supposed to be doing; Jeremiah told her they would let her know once she got there. Finally, after a long search, they found someone. Nikki knocked on the door, and waited, before a man appeared on the other side.

"Can I help you?"

Nikki smiled briefly, before that faded under the man's disgruntled expression, "Uhm, I'm Nicole Valentine. I'm supposed to meet up with someone from Creative to find out what I'm going to be doing."

The man looked a little confuse, before he said, "Oh! You're the one who was supposed to be here two days ago!"

"Yeaah, about that, I think my boss from OVW already cleared that with you guys?" Nikki asked.

"Yes, yes, something about a hospital. Come in," the man glanced at Mike, "Aren't you from Smackdown? You're the reality tv guy?"

Mike had to bite his tongue not to retort to that, before he nodded, "Yeah, I'm just showing her around."

The man nodded, "If she doesn't mind you around, please, have a seat, both of you." Once Mike and Nikki sat down, he looked at the latter, "Now, because you weren't able to make it on time, we had to give the storyline we originally had for you to someone else. It was with Candice, and she wanted to go through it, and we just had to work it out. Sorry."

Nikki suppressed herself from commenting about how fake that sorry was, and instead asked, "Okay, what do you have for me now?"

"Well . . . nothing, really."

Nikki raised an eyebrow, "Well, that's a bit of a problem, isn't it?"

The man rolled his eyes, "Sweetheart, this isn't my fault, so don't start with the attitude. This business is tough; you snooze, you lose. If you really wanted to get going right away, you should have been here two days ago."

Nikki stared at the guy, before she explained as though talking to five-years old, "I was in the hospital. Unconscious. How was I supposed to make it? And why didn't anyone even bother to let me know that I have nothing to do? It's the very least you could have done."

Mike really wanted to tell Nikki to take it easy; she wasn't going to get anywhere arguing with this guy. But as it were, he really couldn't do much at the moment.

"Listen, I'm sorry about that, but that's the way it's going to go. But don't worry, we'll get you working house shows and that kind of thing, for a bit until we come up with something." When Nikki opened her mouth to say something, he raised his palm up, and pulled out his cell phone, "I need to take this."

Nikki rolled her eyes, a little annoyed. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, she knew she wasn't going to be headlining shows right away, but she expected a storyline because hey, she was _promised_ one. She glanced at Mike, who sent her a very rare sympathetic look. Meanwhile, the man was still talking on his phone, only now he was looking at Nikki with a curious expression.

"Yeah, she picked someone? Finally! Wait . . . who? Damn, are you sure? Why would she . . . whatever. Alright, I'll go down there soon." Once he turned off his cell phone, he asked, "What did you say your name was?"

"Nicole ... Valentine," she replied shortly.

"Well, aren't you a lucky one?" He almost looked annoyed, but sort of resigned, as he added, "Come. Looks like you do have a storyline after all."

Nikki was confused, but she wasn't about to question the man if he really did have a storyline for her. She and Mike followed him around the backstage area, until they finally reached a private locker room. Nikki didn't see any sign on the door to let her know where they were, and the Creative guy seemed quite content with that. He smirked at her, before poking his head in, and speaking to whomever was inside, "Hello guys. I have your girl."

A woman's voice came from the inside, "Oh, that fast? Wow! Well, where is she?"

The man ushered Nikki in, and she followed silently, along with Mike. Once she was inside, her eyes fell on two people she was not expecting at all. Nikki was shocked to silence; the man looked at her with a satisfied smirk.

Across from Nikki, Mike, and him, was a sofa, upon which sat none other than Lita and Edge themselves.

* * *

**_A/N:_**

_Did you see that coming? Bet you didn't lol. _

_This was a bit of a filler chapter, but I hope you all liked it nonethelss! _

_As always, guys, very big thank you to all the reviews, faves, and alerts!_****

**_EllexHardy & gooseles_****_: _**_Just wanted to thank you guys so much for taking the time to review all the chapters. You're awesome :)_**_  
_**

_Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please review :) _

_-xoxo, Lillian!_


	31. Chapter 31: Impressions

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or any other people from the WWE. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

* * *

As Nicole stood by the door, transfixed, the writer shook his head, snorting. He looked back at Lita, "I'll let you explain to her how things are going to go, since you and Stephanie probably know it better than me."

The redhead nodded, as he left the room. Mike, who was standing next to Nikki, was quite surprised when he saw who it appeared she was going to be working with, but it was obviously nowhere near her surprise. He suppressed a chuckle, before nudging her ribs with his elbow. Nikki appeared startled, before she finally spoke, "Ow . . . uhm, hi!"

Lita sighed, sharing a look with Edge, before saying, with a disappointed tone, "Maybe Stephanie was right. You looked so much smarter in the videos, though!"

"What?" Nikki felt slightly insulted, even though she wasn't exactly sure what Lita had been told, "I _am_ smart."

Mike coughed, but it sounded suspiciously like, "Yeah, right."

Nikki sent him a sharp look, before turning back to the other two, "Sorry, I'm just . . . I was just told I have nothing to do, and now apparently I do, and it's with . . . well, with you!"

"Aah," Lita shrugged, "Well, now you have one, and you better not disappoint me sweetheart. Stephanie and I had quite an argument over this; she didn't think you were ready to be my sidekick. I thought you were okay . . . for now."

"Stephanie McMahon?" Nikki asked. Lita nodded. "She doesn't even know me!"

Edge chuckled, "It's not personal, kid. Steph just thinks maybe it's better if we picked someone more experienced, all things considered." He and Lita shared a meaningful look, "She means well."

Nikki knew she was missing something, but the two of them obviously didn't want to reveal that, so she simply nodded, "Okay. So . . . I'll be your sidekick?"

Lita nodded, "Yeah. For now. Of course, I'll want to see what you do in the house show tonight, and, you know, figure out how that's going to work out, but don't worry. It'll be fun . . . or horrible, but look in the bright side, it can only go two ways!"

Nikki raised her eyebrow, a little bit concerned at that. However, the fact that she was going to get to work with two of the biggest stars of the industry at the moment was enough to make her forget about the uncertainty. She was ecstatic.

Edge glanced at Mike, asking, "Aren't you from Smackdown?"

Mike bit back a sigh, nodding, and explaining for the tenth time that day, "Yep, I'm just showing her around. I know her from OVW."

"Yep," Nikki grinned, wrapping her arm around Mike's, "He totally loves me."

Mike snorted, "If it makes you feel better, keep telling yourself that." He didn't, however, make any move to push her away.

Lita rolled her eyes, "If you don't mind, I can take over. I think I'm a little more useful than you are when it comes to the divas' locker room."

Mike nodded, glancing at his watch, then back at Nikki, "I do sort of need to get going, we have a Smackdown show tomorrow. But I might be here later, I'll give you a call. Are you gonna be okay on your own?"

"Yeah, sure! I'll catch a cab to the hotel when I'm done here," Nikki smiled at Mike, before giving him a brief hug, "I'll see you around."

"I think I can actually come down in three days?" Mike checked something on his phone, "Yeah. I have to go home after work tomorrow, and I'll probably stay there for a day or two."

Nikki grinned, slightly relieved. She didn't know anyone around here, except for Michelle, who's pretty much in the same position she was in, so it was good to know there was someone else familiar around.

"We'll be in Salt Lake City, I think, in three days," mentioned Edge.

"Yeah?" Mike nodded, "Thanks. I'll see you then?"

Nicole nodded, before waving as he left. She then turned to face her other two companions, "So . . ."

"Let's go," Lita said, leading the way abruptly.

Nikki glanced between her and Edge, who simply rolled his eyes, smiling at her briefly, "You better go, she doesn't like waiting."

The young blonde nodded, sprinting to catch up with Lita, who glanced behind her shoulder once to check that she was there. When the older woman didn't look like she was about to say anything anytime soon, as they walked down the many hallways, Nicole frowned, asking, "Are you planning to tell me what exactly it is I'm going to be doing?"

"I thought I already told you. You get to be my sidekick. Lucky girl, no?" Lita answered. When Nikki opened her mouth to say something, she added, "But I still need to talk to Stephanie and Vince about some things, so, nothing's set in stone for sure." Lita stopped in front of a door, "We're here."

When Lita made no move to open the door, Nikki raised an eyebrow, "Are you going to get the door?"

"Nope. I think you should try the locker room alone the first time," Lita gave her a knowing smirk that Nikki didn't quite understand. "I'm going to go get ready for my match. Bye!"

"Bye," Nikki replied, frowning at her retreating figure. She wasn't exactly sure what to make of Lita, but she knew one thing for certain. She was very glad that she didn't make it quite in time. She didn't really care if the redhead was sort of confusing her; the mere fact that she was getting to work with Lita, the one and only Lita, was enough to blow Nicole's mine. Grinning to herself, she pushed the door open, stepping inside.

Nicole was met with a pair of very familiar light brown eyes. The two women stared at each other, before Nikki spoke, "Maria . . . hi."

"Hey," replied Maria, obviously surprised, and not pleasantly so. "What are you doing here? Oh no, you didn't get signed on Raw, did you?" The look on Nicole's face basically answered Maria's question. She sighed, adding sarcastically, "Oh. That's fantastic!"

"It's great to see you too," Nikki rolled her eyes, as the redhead nodded, and walked past her out of the doe.

The locker room was almost empty, save for two other people, another recent diva, Melina, and one that Nicole recognized but she couldn't quite place a name to her. She gave them a brief greeting nod, before taking her bag to the side. She wasn't really sure who she was working with tonight, but she knew she was doing something, so she figured she should probably get in her wrestling gear. After she was done, she went and took a seat in front of one of the mirrors, attending to her hair and make-up; the locker room was a bit fuller by now, and a few of the girls gave her strange looks. Nikki bit back a sigh; the place certainly wasn't a welcoming environment. She wondered where Michelle was and when she was going to see her. She was pretty sure they were both supposed to be here tonight.

Nicole was running a brush through her hear when she saw, in the mirror, the woman approaching her. She immediately recognized this one, from seeing her on TV for a while; Victoria, one of 'Vince's Devils'. Initially, Nikki was pretty excited, but the look of annoyance gracing the woman's features didn't slip past her.

"Hey."

Nikki turned around, smiling briefly, "Hi."

"You must be one of the new girls," when Nikki nodded in confirmation, Victoria proceeded, with forced politeness, "That's my spot, sweetie. Do you mind?"

Nicole raised her eyebrow slightly; what was this, the seventh grade? My spot, your spot. However, she shrugged, "Oh, sorry, I didn't know. Let me just finish my hair, and I'll be gone."

Victoria did not appear to be pleased by that. When the woman crossed her arms, looking at her with unmasked disdain and annoyance, Nicole wondered if maybe it wasn't just the spot that she was upset about.

"I'm sorry, did I not make myself clear?" Victoria pointed at the clock, "I have a match that I need to get ready for. You're taking up my spot and precious time, so please. Get lost."

"Well, I have a battle royale coming up. There's plenty of room, I'm sure not having your spot one night out of 365 others won't end the world," replied Nikki dryly.

Victoria looked angry by now, as she lashed out, "Listen, Blondie. You don't come in here, thinking just because you're some pretty bimbo, who probably got hired just because she's easy on the eyes, that you get to walk around with an attitude like that. We've all been here longer than you have, and most of us actually _earned_ our spot," she snorted at Nikki, "Obviously, that's not the case with you. So get the hell off of my chair, now. I don't have the time, or the patience, actually, to put up with girls like you."

Nicole stared at Victoria, a little defiantly at first, before tying her hair back in a ponytail, and getting up, "If there's one thing that annoys me more than an overrated diva who thinks she's all that, it's a _judgemental _overrated diva who thinks she's all that." She threw her hair brush into her bag, adding, "Here's your stupid chair."

It was only a while after the battle royale that night that Nicole thought maybe she was a little too difficult back there. She _was_ the new girl, and she should have expected to be treated a little differently, especially in a business such as this. It was constant competition, especially for the girls, she supposed. However, Nikki was never one to really think of her actions, or apologize for them later on. Yeah, it didn't do her wonders when it came to friends and what not, but for now, Nicole figured she could handle it.

She sighed, falling back on her pillow in her hotel room, and picked up her cell phone. After a moment, Phil's voice greeted her ears, "Hey Blondie! You're late."

"I know, sorry; long day."

Phil chuckled, "It's alright. How was Raw?"

Nikki hesitated, before simply saying, "It went from Urghhh! to OMG! all the way back to Urgghh!"

"That's very . . . articulate."

"I know, I'm great, aren't I?" Nikki grinned, before she went ahead and told him more about what had actually happened.

"Well, look on the bright side; sounds like you're getting a pretty good storyline, and even if your part sucks, you'll probably learn a lot from Edge for sure. I don't know much about Lita, but I heard she's great too."

Nikki frowned to herself, thinking out loud, "I don't think Lita likes me very much . . . even though she _did _pick me."

"Don't worry about it too much; nobody likes each other anyway," Phil replied.

"Well geez, thanks for the heads up," Nikki rolled her eyes, just as a knock on her hotel room's door sounded. "Hold on, there's someone at the door."

She got up and answered the door, to find that it was only Mike, who strode inside uninvited, "You, me, and McCool are going out for dinner. Are you ready?"

Nikki frowned, "No, I'm on the phone. I'll be down in ten minutes."

Mike rolled his eyes, saying loudly, "Punk, you're delaying my date with your girlfriend! We were hoping to eat before getting freaky."

Nikki's jaw fell, as she glared at Mike. Meanwhile, Phil responded in annoyance, "What is _he _doing there?"

"Being an asshole," replied Nikki, shaking her head. "I have to go; Michelle and him want to go out for dinner."

"Does he have to go too?"

Nikki laughed, but before she could say anything, Mike interrupted again, "Really, Punk, you're kind of annoying. The lady's just too polite to tell you."

Nikki couldn't see it, but she was pretty sure Phil was glaring at something as he said through his teeth, "I really don't like your choice of friends. They all seem to have a thing against me."

"Hmm, could it possibly be the other way around?" Nikki asked, smirking slightly.

"Nope, not a chance," there was a moment of silence, before Phil added accusingly, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"You sort of sound cute when you're jealous," replied Nikki.

"I'm _not _jealous . . . I just don't like Mizanin."

"He's not too fond of you if that makes you feel better," before Nicole could go any further, there was yet another knock on her door, which Mike answered. Michelle stood on the other side, tapping her foot impatiently. Nikki sighed, "Listen, Pretty Boy, I gotta go. Mike and Michelle might just ditch me if I keep them waiting any longer. And I'd like to eat."

"Of course. I'll talk to you tomorrow, and I'll let you know if I can come down on Sunday. Bye."

Nikki bade him goodbye, before turning off the phone and glaring at Mike, "Was that really necessary?"

Michelle frowned, glancing between the two of them, "What happened?"

Mike grinned, "Oh, she's upset that I've exposed our 'secret affair' to her boyfriend."

"Ha ha, you're funny," Nikki retorted sarcastically, although she was trying not to laugh. "I thought you couldn't stand me?"

"I can't, but I can't stand Punk _more_, so it's fun to piss him off."

"Jerk."

"Airhead."

Michelle rolled her eyes, pushing the two of them out, "Shut up, you dunderheads."

* * *

**_A/N:_**

_Terribly sorry for the wait, guys. Been sort of busy and museless lately, but I'm getting better!  
_

_As always, thank you for all those who've faved, alert-ed, and esp. the reviewers. You guys rock my world!  
_

_Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please review :) _

_-xoxo, Lillian_


	32. Chapter 32: Pretty Boy & the Egomaniac

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or anyone else in the WWE. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

_%%%  
_

Phil kept fidgeting around. He should be sleeping, since he hadn't caught more than four consecutive hours of sleep in the last two days. He sighed loudly as he rested his head back against his seat in the airplane.

Next to him, Steve frowned, "What's wrong with you?"

"Nikki hasn't called, texted, or anything, in three days," Phil glared at his cell phone, which was turned off, but he was still annoyed at it. "Three freaking days. Why wouldn't she?"

Steve raised his eyebrow, "Well, the crazy explanation would be that she's, I don't know, busy adjusting to her new surroundings? But don't listen to me, that's pretty stupid you know. I'm sure whatever you thought of is more like it."

"Fuck you," replied Phil darkly. "I wouldn't mind too much, if that asshole wasn't around."

"Sorry, I can't keep up with you. Which one are we talking about now?"

"Mizanin," Phil all but spat out the name, "She told me he's been hanging out at Raw a lot, whenever he has nothing to do on Smackdown. Either he literally has nothing to do there, or he has an agenda when it comes to Nikki."

Steve refrained from snickering, as he pointed out, "Shouldn't you be glad that at least she has someone to help her out?"

"I _am_ glad! I just wish it was someone else."

"You're being too dramatic, Punk. Let it go."

Phil rolled his eyes, before putting his earphones in, and trying to get some sleep.

**%%%**

It was late afternoon on the monday Nicole was finally supposed to debut on TV. It wasn't anything major, she wasn't going to be competing in an official match. No, instead, she was going to be paraded around by Edge for his number one contender match, since Lita was banned from ringside, and then she was supposed to help him out near the end to get the win. While it wasn't the most glorious role, Nikki was ecstatic just to be working with such big names like Lita, Edge, and his opponent tonight, RVD. It was all so exciting and a little bit intimidating. Nikki knew that her role was small, and that, for now, it didn't really go more than being eye-candy and helping Edge and Lita heel it up by cheating and what not. However, the fact that Lita had actually had to talk Stephanie McMahon into picking her, along with knowing that she had to make sure her performance was pitch perfect to keep up with everyone, put a bit of pressure on Nikki. So far, she was handling it alright, even if she was turning into a bit of a workaholic.

At the moment, Nicole sat on top of the turnbuckle, as she watched Edge and Randy Orton warm up for their respective matches. She was aware that the two were supposed to be going into some sort of alliance soon enough on TV, but for one reason or the other, Nikki wasn't too fond of Orton. She kept her thoughts to herself though.

"Earth to Nicole."

Nikki turned to grin at Mike, who had just come back from catering, holding two bottles of water. He tossed one her way, asking, "What's up with you? I didn't come all the way from Smackdown so that you can ignore me and go off to la la land."

Nikki rolled her eyes, "You make it sound like Smackdown is on the other side of the planet." She was only joking, of course. Mike had been tremendous ever since she got here, even though he claimed he was just bored and she was entertaining. She still appreciated his unspoken support nonetheless. "I'm sorry, am I supposed to ooh-ing and aah-ing over your every move?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind that actually," Mike replied, winking.

"I really don't understand how you put up with him," said Edge, who was leaning against the ropes, resting for now. Orton glanced at the three of them momentarily, before apparently deciding to snort and leave.

"It took a long time, but I finally got used to it," Nikki grinned, "Think of it this way: I am no prepared to deal with all kinds of egomaniacs."

"Good point."

"Oh please," snorted Mike. "You love having me around. After all, without me, you wouldn't be here."

"Sadly, that's sort of true," admitted Nikki with a sigh.

"Oh yeah? How come?" asked Edge.

"I got my developmental contract to work a storyline with him," Nikki explained begrudgingly. "It was the darkest period of my life."

"I can imagine," joked Edge, much to Mike's annoyance. The older man glanced back at Nicole, "So, do you think you're ready for tonight?"

Nikki shrugged, "My part's pretty simple. Look pretty, then bam! dropkick, and back to looking pretty. Doesn't take a genius to do it, I guess."

"And thank God for that!" Mike commented. "We all know blondes are easily confused."

Nikki stuck her tongue out at him, before Edge countered sarcastically, "Says the dude with the blonde faux hawk."

"Exactly!" Nikki raised her palm up for Edge, "Up top, boss man!"

Edge laughed, before adding more sincerely, "You know, if you need any help, in-ring stuff, ragging on Miz, promo's, or whatever, don't be shy to come and ask."

Nikki smiled politely, "I think I got the ragging on Miz part down. But thanks for the offer. It's the first one I've gotten so far."

"Yeah, people can be tough around here," he said, shaking his head.

Nikki could swear she heard Mike say something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'you got that right'. She frowned slightly at that, but made no comment. Ever since she got here about two weeks ago, she couldn't help but speculate about just how much 'fun' Mike was having over at Smackdown. He claimed it was great, but she had a feeling he wasn't being completely honest with her.

In an attempt to lighten up the mood a little bit, Nikki said, "Yeah, well, at least I've got you and Mr. I'm So Amazing over there."

Mike snorted, "You don't 'have' me. I told you; I'm bored, and you're pathetically hilarious."

Nikki rolled her eyes, saying to Edge, "He uses the arrogance as a defence mechanism, and a way to hide that he's really just a big softy."

"You know, I can actually see that," the older man said, before patting Mike's shoulder, "Good strategy, buddy."

Mike crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the two of them, muttering, "Whatever, losers." He resembled a petulant child so much, that Nikki and Edge couldn't help but burst out laughing at the site of them.

"Dare I ask what's so funny?"

Nikki turned to investigate, just as she heard the fourth voice joining them. A bright grin graced her expression as her eyes landed on the owner of the voice. She jumped out of the ring, exclaiming, "Pretty Boy!"

Phil was nearly knocked off of his feet when the young blonde practically jumped on him. He chuckled as he hugged Nicole, before setting her back on her feet, "Hey there."

"What are you doing here? You said you couldn't come until Friday!"

Phil shrugged, "I just had a backstage segment for tomorrow, so we pre-taped it."

Nikki nearly jumped, "That's awesome! You get to see me make my debut. It won't be much, but it should get people talking."

Before Phil could respond, Mike's laughter came from behind them, "Pretty Boy? Really? How'd you come up with that one?"

Phil glared at Mike, as Nikki laughed nervously. She knew he wasn't too fond of the nickname she'd given him. She turned and stuck her tongue out at Mike, "Shut up, it's none of your business."

"Why are you here anyway?" asked Phil, annoyance evident in his tone.

Mike shrugged, "Why do you care?"

"I don't."

"It sounds like you do," replied Mike, smirking. "What's the matter? Is somebody a little jealous?"

Phil rolled his eyes, "Whatever, Mizanin, I'm not wasting my time on you." He glanced down at Nikki, who was observing the scene with a bored look on her face, "Are you doing anything before the show starts?"

Nikki glanced at Edge, who shook his head tacitly, "I guess not. Thanks, boss man."

"I'd really prefer you stop calling me that," Edge said, chuckling, "What's wrong with my real name? Hell, what's wrong with 'Edge'?"

"It's not as much fun!" exclaimed Nikki, grinning, "But I guess I can go for 'Adam'. It sounds weird, though."

"What's so weird about it?" asked Phil.

"'Boss man' rolls off the tongue," Nikki explained, as if it was so blatantly obvious, "'Adam' doesn't. Neither does 'Edge'. Maybe 'Boss Man Adam'? Naah."

Edge shook his head, glancing at Phil, "She seems like a handful."

"You don't even know," replied Phil, chuckling.

"Hello? I'm standing right here!" exclaimed Nikki.

"You people are so boring."

Phil turned to glance distastefully at Mike, before saying acidly, "Feel free to leave then. Nobody's stopping you."

"I was here first. _You_ should leave," retorted Mike.

"Oh my god," groaned Nikki. "Will you guys please, please just stop being such babies?"

"He started it!"

Edge laughed, as the two of them made that statement at the same time. He shook his head, before patting Nicole's back, "I was wrong. You're _all_ a lot more than a handful. Anyway, I'm going to go get lunch now. I'll see you when it's time for the show."

"Sure! Bye," said Nikki, waving at him as he walked away.

Phil came to stand next to her, "Do you have anything planned for lunch?"

Nikki began to shake her head, but the look on Mike's face, and her own memory, reminded her otherwise. She grimaced, "Oh. Yeah. We're supposed to meet up with Michelle . . . but I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you join us."

"'We'?" asked Phil testily. "You, Michelle and . . ."

"Uhm . . . well, Mike," Nicole said, adding hurriedly as she noted the look on Phil's face, "I didn't know you were coming!"

"Uhh, hello? I'm right here?" said Mike in annoyance.

"I know, sorry." Nikki said, tucking her hair behind her ear. She felt very awkward, standing in-between Mike and Phil, who were glaring murderously at each other. She understood that the two of them didn't get along, but she really wished they did, just for a while.

"Whatever, I guess I'll see you later," replied Phil, shrugging.

Nikki pouted, reaching over to grasp his hand, "Come on, it won't take long, then we can do something else."

Before Phil could answer, Mike cleared his throat, "Actually," he waved his phone, "I just got a text. I have to head to our next venue earlier than I thought."

"Aww," Nikki frowned, before walking over to Mike, and hugging him, "Okay. I'll see you soon?"

Mike hugged her back briefly, and gently pushed her away towards the ring, replying, "I don't know, actually. I'm going to be pretty busy well into the next weekend, so maybe then?"

Nicole wasn't entirely sure Mike was being completely honest with her, but she shrugged, "Oh, okay. Bye!"

After Mike left, Phil watched him, and glanced at Nicole. She seemed a bit subdued, which didn't exactly sit well with him. First of all, the fact that Mizanin is probably the reason she was upset sort of bothered Phil, and secondly, he simply didn't like seeing her upset. He approached her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and pulled her close, saying, "I missed you."

Nicole smiled up at him, "I missed you too. It's been so crazy here."

"Hmm, I can imagine," Phil smirked, "Made any new friends . . . or enemies?"

"Not really," Nikki snorted, "I think even Lita doesn't really like me. Adam's been great, but yeah, other than him and Mike, it's been pretty lonely."

"What about Michelle?"

"Oh, she's moving to SmackDown too," Nikki explained. "I'm all alone, except when Mike comes over. He's been pretty good about it."

"I can come around too," said Phil, a little more defensively than he intended.

Nikki looked at him in amusement, "I know. I never said you can't, did I?"

"Well, no . . . I've just been busy helping Steve pack up stuff. But now we're done, and you'll have more than Mizanin to entertain you."

"You know he's not that bad, right?" Nikki said, raising an eyebrow.

Phil hesitated, before carefully saying, "I have my personal opinions," at the look on Nikki's face, he hurriedly added, "But I trust your judgement."

"Right, since when?" she asked, remembering less than three weeks ago, when she and Phil were arguing about his brother.

He sighed, "I'm trying, I really am."

Nikki smiled softly, "I know. And I really, really appreciate it."

"Does that mean I don't have to be nice to Mizanin anymore?"

"Whoa, wait a minute . . . that was you being nice before?" asked Nikki with a smirk.

"Hey! I was trying not to say anything _too _rude!" Phil explained.

"Hmm, you need to work at it. But I'm really not interested in that right now."

"Good, 'cause I'm not either," Phil grinned, before leaning down to capture her lips in a kiss.

Nicole smiled against his lips, and wrapped her arms around his neck. After a moment, Phil broke the kiss, and mused, "I just realised we'ven ever been on an actual date together."

Nikki laughed, "No, we haven't."

"If you're not busy after the show, we can fix that?" suggested Phil.

Nikki grinned, before pulling him by his shirt, as she sat on the edge of the ring, and kissed him. She pulled away enough to mumble softly against his lips, "That's my answer for you."However, as soon as she began to kiss him again, her phone buzzed. She sighed, and sure enough, it was Michelle. Nikki rolled her eyes, "Michelle's getting impatient, and I'm getting hungry. We should go."

Phil looked a little disappointed, but he shrugged, and followed Nicole out. At least Mizanin wasn't around this time; he just had to withstand McCool's biting attitude.

_%%%_

_**A/N:** _

_I'm a terrible person, I know. I'm sorry for the wait, and I know the chapter might not be the best I've written, but I'm trying to get on the swing of things. Things will get more exciting, I promise lol. But I do hope you enjoyed that! I even put a little fluff in there (or my version of it at least lol). Please review! Also, check out my other Punk story, Beneath Skin Deep! It's a bit different from this one, but who knows, you might like it! =)  
_

_xoxo, Lillian_


	33. Chapter 33: First Date

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or anyone else in the WWE. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

**_%%%_**

Nikki stood at the back, watching the show. With every minute that passed, she could feel her heart beginning to beat faster; it was almost time for the main event. It was almost time until it was _her_ that was out there, being watched by over a thousand people. She wasn't quite sure she could handle it; yeah, her part was pretty simple and all, but _still_. So many things could go wrong; what if she froze? What if she looked ugly? What if she botched the dropkick? What if she tripped?

Behind her, Edge had just walked in into the room; he was lacing up his boots as he sat on the bench. After a moment, he snorted and said, "Will you relax, kiddo? We've gone over this plenty of times, and you'll be fine."

"I know. I'm fine!" replied Nicole, but the cracking of her voice indicated otherwise.

"Is that so?" Edge glanced at her hands, before adding, "Do you always twist water bottles until they're ready to be recycled?"

Nicole glanced at her empty water bottle, before she stepped over to release it over the garbage bin. "Sorry."

"No need to be," Edge chuckled, "Just relax; you'll feel much better."

She smiled nervously back at him, just as a short backstage assistant poked her head inside the room, saying, "Stephanie says you should head to gorilla now."

Nicole's expression almost fell, until she felt a hand squeezing her shoulder. She turned, expecting to see Edge again, but instead she found Phil, giving her a reassuring smile. He always snuck up on her like that; usually it annoyed her, but right now she was just glad he was there. He wrapped his arms around her, whispering in her ear, "Go knock 'em dead, Blondie." He pulled back again, giving her shoulders one last squeeze before she turned and followed Edge.

They waited silently until it was their cue. When the assistant signalled for them, and Edge's music began playing, he walked a few steps ahead of Nicole, but she quickly followed. The blonde was not very aware of anything but her surroundings, but the announcers were explaining the situation.

_"Well, here we go, ladies and gentleman. A main-event to determine the #1 contender for the WWE Championship, and this time, the Women's Champion, Lita, is not allowed anywhere near ringside! Edge will have to win fair and square tonight."_

_"Yes, and as we've seen the past wee- wait a minute. It doesn't look like Edge's completely alone tonight. Who is that?"_

_"I don't know, but I'll tell you this. I'm not sure Lita will be too happy once she sees what her man's been up to."_

_"Come on, King, let's not jump to conclusions."_

_By that time, Nicole was standing on ringside, watching two future legends do what she would much rather be doing at the moment. All the while, the commentators went from reporting the match, to speculating about her. She tried not to listen to them and the crowd, and focused on playing her part, attempting to distract the referree whenever she had to, and whatnot. Finally, near the end of the match, Edge attempted to spear his opponent, but didn't quite get it, and the referree was knocked down in the process. Nikki recognized her cue, and stepped up on the ring, entering just as Edge was about to get pinned. The referree couldn't 'see' her, and Edge's opponent turned to look at her in confusion. She gave him one small smirk, and delivered a dropkick, before kicking him on the head with her boots. She then proceeded to nudge Edge and help him over to pin the man, before swiftly stepping off the ring and making a show of pointing out what's happening to the ref. Sure enough, the man crawled over and counted 1, 2, 3. Just like that, Edge got the win._

_"Wait...what? Ref! Come on, how could he miss that!" came King's stunned response. _

_But Nicole didn't really hear much of anything; she was too busy just feeling relieved, as Edge hugged her, and they walked out hurriedly. She didn't screw up! She did her part! And the crowd hated her...or Edge. It didn't matter. There was a reaction; that meant she still had a future in this place._

Later that night, Phil could be found sitting in the lobby of the hotel Nicole was staying at, waiting. He glanced at his watch, but was reassured to see that they still had plenty of time to get to the restaraunt where he wanted to take Nikki. It still felt like he was waiting forever, though. At last, Nicole arrived. She tapped his shoulder gently, and grinned at him once he turned.

"Ready?" she asked, excitement evident in her blue eyes.

Phil nodded, taking a good look at her; dressed in a black silk top, dark jeans, and matching black high heels, she looked great, but this wasn't the first time he had noticed that about Nicole. It was usually the first thing most people noticed about her, he supposed. Unless she was dressed in her sweats and working out, but he didn't mind that either. He smiled back at her, wrapping his arm around her waist, "You take too long to get ready."

"Oh, please! You should see Michelle," Nikki countered, elbowing him lightly, "I'm a gift sent from heaven above, admit it."

"That would be lying. I don't lie."

"Oh, ha ha. Just drive, Pretty Boy."

"Yes, ma'am."

The banter went on for quite some time during the ride to the restaraunt, until finally Phil parked the car in front of a quaint little restaraunt. As they walked over to the building, he said, "So I know how much you've missed home- don't give me that look, it's pretty easy to see." He added the last part when Nicole opened her mouth, no doubt to deny missing her family. He knew that there was some tension there, the nature of which he wasn't sure, but deducing from previous incidents, anyone can guess. "Anyway, as I was saying, this place serves the best Italian food that I've been to. Might not hold a candle to your mother's cooking, but hey, I'm trying."

Nicole smiled softly, shaking her head, "My mum's not much of a cook. My dad's better, but he's not that enthusiastic about his heritage."

Phil glanced at her sideways, hoping she would expand upon the topic, but when she didn't, he figured that they were still a little bit further away from that point. He didn't press her, instead saying, "Works best for me!"

As the restaraunt didn't operate based on reservations, they had to wait a little bit, but they soon found themselves at a table near the windows. Nicole was pretty chatty, a stark difference from earlier that night, when she was fretting about Raw.

"So, how was it, being on live TV?" asked Phil, before taking a sip out of his soda.

Nikki tilted her head, "I don't know. I'm just relieved it's over. But I _think_ it went well?"

"You were okay. Maybe try and interact more with the crowd?" Phil suggested. "Yell at them; they love that."

Nikki laughed, "Don't we all?"

They talked for a little longer, between eating their dinner and laughing at random people, before the eventual silence fell. Nicole was the one to break it, as she played idly with her food, "I just realised compared to what I know about the Brooks, you know an awful lot about me. They're not all like your dear brother, are they?"

Phil hadn't thought about curiousity going the other way too, but she had a point. His expression darkened at the mention of Jackson, but nonetheless, he answered, "No, thank God. What do you want to know?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. Do you have any other brothers? Sisters? Step-brother and sisters? Whatever."

"I have three sisters, two of them younger than me, one older. My father's an electrician, and my mum owns a small arts and crafts store," he explained.

"Cool. What are your sisters' names?"

"Uhm, the older one is Sarah, and the two younger ones are Valerie and Kaley."

"They sound . . . normal. But then again, so did Jackson," mused Nikki.

"Normal isn't the word I'd use, but they're nothing like Jackson. _No one_ is anything like that bastard," Phil spat out, his grip on his fork tightening.

Nikki raised an eyebrow, and opened her mouth to say something, when Phil's phone began ringing. He was startled, before he answered it. Nikki kept herself busy by looking out the window while he talked, not wanting to intrude. After about five minutes, he hung up, and looked at her, frowning. She sent him a questioning look.

"That was Barbs . . . Kelly, from ECW," he explained. "Her car broke down and she needs a lift to her hotel. Do you mind if we . . . "

"No, no, it's fine. Let's go," Nikki said, smiling.

_**%%%**_

_A/N: I keep apologizing for delays. But I really am sorry! School is killing me, but the holidays are coming soon, so hopefully I'll have more time to update._

_Let me know what you thought of this chapter! A__lso, check out my other Punk story, BSD! It's a bit different from this one, but who knows, you might like it! =)_  


_xoxo, Lillian_


	34. Chapter 34: Awkward Encounters

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or anyone else in the WWE. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

**_%%_**

Nicole adjusted her seatbelt and turned to face Phil, who was sitting on the passenger seat. She backed out of the parking lot, asking, "And where exactly is Miss Kelly?"

"It's so weird calling her that," Phil commented, chuckling, "Uhh, she texted me. Here." He passed over his cell phone to Nikki, who took a moment to figure out where they were heading before giving it back.

"Awesome." She glanced at Phil curiously, as she was driving, and added, "Why is it weird? Calling her Kelly."

"Oh. Well, we...well, at least me, only do it on television. Her name is Barbie, or Barbs," he explained.

"Fitting," replied Nikki, smiling a little.

"Hey, what are you all smirky about? You're as much a 'Barbie' as anyone else I know," pointed out Phil.

Nikki gave him a mock shocked look, before laughing, "True enough. It's better now; you should have seen me back in high school."

"Oh I'm certain we wouldn't have gotten along," stated Phil with a snort.

"Is that so? Why?"

"I wasn't the nicest kid around back then."

Nicole restrained herself from laughing, but the corners of her lips were almost curved, as she glanced at him, saying, "Really? Wow. That's so shocking, considering what a gentleman you are now!"

Phil shot her a dark look, "Ha ha." He took a moment to look out the window, as they were nearing the gas station Kelly told him she would be at. Sure enough, in a few seconds, he spotted her, "There she is."

Nicole looked toward the direction he was pointing, and stopped right in front of the other blonde. Phil rolled down his window, poking his head out, "Hey you. How many times have I told you not to travel alone?"

Kelly laughed, "Whatever, shut up, Punk. Uhm, can you open the trunk? I have a suitcase and a duffel bag with me."

"Yeah sure. Nik?" Phil asked, as she nodded, and did as was requested.

"Thanks!" came Kelly's reply.

After the luggage was safely inside the trunk, Kelly returned, and took a place in the back seat of the car. She sent a smile towards the two of them, before looking at Nikki in particular, saying, "Oh my god, I completely forgot Punk's here to see you. Uhm, hi! I'm Kelly, Barbie, whatever you wanna call me. Nice to meet you!"

Nicole smiled back at her, and took the hand the other blonde was extending, "Hey. Pleasure to meet you too. I'm Nicole...Valentine. Uhm...I...have no other names." She laughed, shrugging. "Where am I going, guys?"

Phil shrugged, "Barbs? Where we heading?"

"Oh, I'm staying at a friend's place downtown. Here's the address," Kelly pulled out a scrunched up piece of paper, handing it over to Nikki.

"Awesome, thanks!"

Phil turned a little to speak to Kelly, "What are you doing here, anyway? Don't you have to be at Kansas City tomorrow for the taping?"

"Yeah, but I had to stop by here. A family friend, it's complicated. I'l fly in to the taping tomorrow . . . hopefully," replied Kelly. "Besides, you're here too!"

"Not by choice," he smirked, glancing at Nikki, "She held a gun to my temple and threatened me to be here."

Kelly laughed, while Nicole rolled her eyes, smirking, "Oh nice, make the poor girl think I'm some psycho."

"Oh you don't have to worry too much about that; I know all about you," replied Kelly, as Nicole punched Phil's arm lightly.

Nikki frowned a little, asking, "Really? How come?"

"Punk talks about you all the time," explained Kelly. "It's almost annoying. I mean, even the few times he took me out, he didn't talk about me, but somehow we always ended up chattering about you."

At this point, Nicole's eyebrows rose slightly, as she glanced at Phil briefly, before turning her attention back to the road, "I didn't know you guys dated."

Kelly's eyes widened slightly, as she realised that she may have unintentionally revealed too much. She quickly added, "Oh I wouldn't say we 'dated'. We just, uhm, went out a few times. I'm sorry, I thought you'd know."

Phil cleared his throat, adding, "Yeah, that one's on me. I sort of forgot to mention it."

Nikki shrugged, "Don't worry about it. No big deal, right?"

Her question was met by a murmer of agreement. The rest of the ride was slightly more tense, but filled with idle chatter nonetheless, until they finally dropped Kelly off at her friend's place. After that, Nicole was going to drive back to her hotel, and Phil was supposed to start driving to Kansas City.

Halfway to the hotel, Phil sent a sideway glance to Nikki, asking, "You okay?"

She nodded, "Yep. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. You're very quiet."

"I'm driving; don't wanna die tonight," joked Nikki.

He smiled, before pointing out, "Didn't stop you from chit-chatting before."

Nikki sent him a brief look, and shrugged, "I don't know this way as well."

"Of course . . . carry on."

Once they reached the hotel, Phil asked Nicole to park in the visitor's parking, before accompanying her upstairs. Once they reached her room, she turned to face him, while leaning against the door. Nicole pouted, saying, "I wish you could stay."

"I know, me too," replied Phil, reaching over to pull her closer. He glanced briefly at his cell phone clock, "I could spare a few hours."

"I know, but I can't. I'm supposed to room with someone," Nikki explained.

"Oh. Who is it?"

Nicole shrugged her shoulders, "My guess is as good as yours. It was supposed to be Michelle, but like I said, she's on Smackdown now; she left a few hours ago. Stephanie said she'll assign someone else to the room."

"Oh. Bummer. I guess I'll see you over the weekend?" Phil asked.

"Yeah, definitely." She stood on her toes, and pressed a kiss to his lips. Phil pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

"Uhm . . . wow. Hi guys."

Nikki pulled away abruptly, glancing to her left, only to see Maria standing there, with a suitcase on one hand, and a key card on the other. Nicole frowned, saying, "Hey. What are you doing here?"

"I think you're blocking the way to my room," explained Maria.

"Oh . . . oh. Well, this is just great," said Nicole, as she realised what that meant. She moved away from the door, adding, "I guess we're roomies!"

"Oh, yay!" Maria said. "Hey Phil."

"Hey. How are you?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"I'm great. Fantastic. Just a little tired though, so . . . I'm gonna go to bed now. Good night!"

"'night!" replied Phil, just as Maria nodded at the both of them and closed the door. He turned to look at Nicole, whose expression was unreadable. "You're not going to kill each other, are you?"

Nikki snorted, "I make no promises!" She smiled, "No, I think we'll be fine. I'm just so exhausted right now."

"Yeah," Phil gave Nikki a curious look, adding, "Are you okay?"

"You keep asking me that. I'm fine. Do I look not okay?" asked Nicole.

"No . . . it's just that, you got a little tense around Kelly," explained Phil. When Nicole was about to retort, he stopped her, adding quickly, "I just want you to know, there's absolutely nothing going on between us. We're just two friends, work buddies, if you will."

Nikki smiled, "I know. I didn't say I think otherwise, did I?"

"No, but you have that look about you . . . there's something bothering you," he stated, eyes focused intently on her.

"There's nothing bothering me. Promise."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, although at this rate, I'm starting to think maybe I should be suspicious," commented Nikki.

"No, you really shouldn't. I don't do crap like that. You know that."

"I know," Nikki reached over to hug him, whispering in his ear, "I'm not mad about you and Kelly. I know you're just friends. And it's all good. I promise."

Phil hugged her back, "Good. Well, I guess I'll let you go to sleep now."

"Yep, good night. Have a safe trip!"

Phil waved at her, before he left. Nicole waited until the elevator doors closed, before turning and going into her room. Inside, Maria had already changed into her pajamas and was brushing her teeth in the bathroom. Nicole nodded at her in acknowledgement, before she started changing herself. Once Maria was done, she came out, and headed to her bed, with a book in hand. She spared Nicole a glance, and said, "I'm surprised I didn't see you guys at the bar."

Nikki frowned, and stopped at the door of the bathroom, toothbrush at hand, "We went out for dinner. Why would we go to the bar?"

"Oh, I just figured you guys would hang out with Miz, that's all," explained Maria.

Nikki raised an eyebrow, "Mike wasn't here tonight. He left to Omaha earlier today."

Maria shook her head slowly, "I'm pretty sure that was Miz tonight at the bar."

"It can't be. Why would he tell me he's leaving, then?" asked Nikki, the question more rhetorical than anything.

Maria shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe you misunderstood, or he made a mistake."

Nikki looked thoughtful for a minute, before she said, "I guess so."

Despite her attempt at nonchalance, as Nicole lay in bed later that night, she couldn't help but think that Mike was purposely avoiding her and lying to her. It shouldn't bother her too much, but that didn't change the fact that it did, a lot. She glanced sideways to see that Maria was fast asleep, and almost snorted. Out of all the people that she could have had to room with, it had to be _Maria_. Well, so far everything was going well; she just hoped Stephanie didn't make a habit of putting them together.

_**%%**_

_A/N: _

_I suppose I should just accept the fact that my updating speed isn't the same. So sorry for that guys, but I promise you not to abandon the story!  
_

_Let me know what you thought of this chapter!_

_ A__lso, check out my other Punk story, BSD! It's a bit different from this one, but who knows, you might like it! =)_  


_xoxo, Lillian_


	35. Chapter 35: On the way to Wichita

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or anyone else in the WWE. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

**_%%_**

By 7 am the next morning, Nicole was up and running, taking a shower, getting ready to tackle the rest of the day. She was up a little earlier than everyone else because she had to go find a herself a rental car in order to get to the next venue. Over the past two weeks since she started touring with Raw, she and Michelle rode together in the latter's rental. However, since Michelle was on Smackdown now, Nicole had to find her own way around. Originally, Mike had offered to drop her off at the venue on his way to Kansas City, but seeing as how he had to leave early, she was left alone, agaun.

Up until last night, Nicole hadn't been too concerned that Mike had to leave earlier than planned. She understood that things came up, and considering he was a new talent, she was sure they worked him a little more than they should. However, Maria's information last night was a little less sure about what was going on; she honestly didn't know what to think at the moment. Why would Mike lie to her about leaving? It confused Nicole, and in a way, it kind of hurt as well. She knew Mike never really admitted to them being close friends or anything, but right now, aside from Michelle and Phil, he was pretty much her only close friend. Sure, there were people in the Raw locker room that were nice and friendly, but there were others that were anything but. Plus, it was just hard to get comfortable in general; Nicole knew she would eventually get there, but for now, it was comforting to have a few friends she could trust. Only it seemed that she didn't.

Of course, there was an alternate explanation to everything, one that Nikki was much more inclined to believe. How was she to know that Maria was telling the truth? The redhead had a lot more reason to lie to Nicole than Mike did. Despite the little voice in her head telling her she was simply going with the easy way out, Nicole was a lot more comfortable with that explanation than with accepting that Mike did in fact lie to her.

By the time Nicole was fully dressed, she had come to the conclusion that yes, Maria did lie to her. For now, she wasn't going to confront the other girl. While she may want to, Nicole hated looking like an idiot. She wanted to be a 100% sure that Maria was lying before she did anything about it. So instead of being a rash idiot, when Maria was up later that morning, Nicole sent her a brief smile, "'Morning."

"Good morning," replied Maria. She frowned, "You're up awfully early."

"Yeah, I have to go find a rental," explained Nikki. "Don't check out unless I'm here, please."

Maria nodded, "Yeah, yeah. I'll leave my card on the bedside if you're not back by the time I'm gone."

Nikke shrugged, before stepping out and shutting the door behind her. As she walked down the hallway to the elevator, her cell phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her purse, smiling a little to see it was a text from Phil.

_'Hey Blondie. Good Morning! Thought I'd make sure you're up. Don't wanna make the bosses mad, now, do you?'_

Nicole was in the process of replying, when the elevator doors opened and she walked in, not looking to see if there was someone there. Which there was. Someone who probably didn't like her. I.e. Anyone on the Raw roster other than Edge. She quickly took a step back, apologizing, "Sorry, I was just texting." She waved her phone smiling briefly.

The brunette woman smiled back at her in amusement, "It's cool. It's Nikki, right? I'm Mickie James."

"Yeah, I know," replied Nikki without thinking, before she added, "Sorry, I mean . . . you know what I mean."

Mickie laughed, "Yes, I do. Where are you heading? Isn't it a little early?"

"Oh, I was just going to the rental facility; I need a ride," explained Nicole.

Mickie frowned briefly, before shrugging, "Well, I think I have room in my car. If you want, that is."

Nicole hesitated for a bit. While it was incredibly nice of Mickie to invite her along, Nikki wasn't sure taking the woman up on her offer was the wisest decision. After all, Mickie might just be trying to be polite. However, the prospect of not having to go find herself a car, and travelling all alone was a little too good to let slip by. Plus, if things turned out to be too awkward, Nikki would know better for the next time someone offered her a ride.

"That's really kind of you. I'd love to come," said Nicole, smiling at Mickie.

"Great! We can meet downstairs in the lobby at around 8:30?"

"Sounds perfect. I just have to go take care of a few things before then, but I'll be there," Nikki waved at the other woman goodbyem before leaving the elevator when the doors slid open.

About an hour later, Nicole was all packed, and heading downstairs to check out. Once that was done, she turned to search for Mickie, before her eyes finally fell on the brunette. She smiled, and made her way toward her, "Hey there. Ready?"

"Yup, just waiting for you. Let's get going!"

Nicole nodded in affirmation and followed Mickie out. The car wasn't parked too far away, and they reached it rather quickly. Even from a distance, Nikki could tell that there was third person there, apparantly. As they reached the car, she asked, "Who else is coming?"

"Oh! I completely forgot you're new here. Maria and I ride together pretty often . . . . do you guys know each other?" Mickie threw the question out casually, and Nicole was sure that the girl was not really aware of anything between her and Maria. Fate, or whoever it was up there; Nikki was never quite sure, was very aware and it liked to put the two of them together frequently, it seems.

"Wait . . . what? Why didn't you tell me you're inviting someone?" asked Maria, with a hint of annoyance in her tone.

Mickie shrugged, "I didn't think it was that big of a deal." Her eyes went from Maria to Nicole, "I'm guessing you do know each other. I'm sorry?"

"No, it's fine."

Mickie laughed, as her two other companions said the exact same thing in an astoundingly similar fashion. She could tell this was going to be such a _fun_ ride.

They spent the first hour or so on their way to Wichita in relative peace. But of course, to spend the entire ride in peace was asking too much. As they passed a McDonald's, Mickie turned around to glance at Nikki, who was sitting in the back, and asked, "Hey, how come you weren't out at that club last night? I think literally everyone was there."

"Oh, yeah, I heard. I was sort of out on a date," replied Nicole.

"Oh, well, yeah, I'd miss clubbing for that. How did it go?"

"Pretty good. It was sort of cut short, but I was really tired anyway, so it wasn't a big deal."

"Aah, well, I wish you would have come after; it was kind of fun. One of your friends was there, actually. I think his name is Mike?" said Mickie.

Nicole really was not liking where this day -and this conversation- were heading. She had to remind herself that it wasn't Mickie's fault, before she spoke, "So I guess he really was there. Cool."

It was anything other than cool. Nicole was incredibly confused, and at this point, she was also starting to get a little annoyed. Why in the world would Mike not just tell her he was staying? Why would he lie instead? She highly doubted, now, that this was a scheme by Maria. Nope. Mickie didn't seem like the kind to lie to someone she just met, or whatever. At least Nicole sincerely hoped she wasn't. Which meant that Mike was the one who lied.

Her train of thoughts was abruptly stopped when Maria's voice reached Nicole's ears, "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

Nicole wasn't exactly paying attention, so she asked, "What?"

"You guess it's true. What, did you have any doubts before?" Maria's tone obviously implied that she was not happy about this.

"I just thought you might have seen someone who simply looked like Mike. People make mistakes," explained Nicole simply. She was lying, but in this situation, for the sake of the poor woman driving, she believed the lie was better than telling the truth. Mickie didn't need to be exposed to their oh-so-lovely relationship.

Maria let out a humourless laugh, "Please, Nicole. There's no need to pretend, alright? I know you, you know me. You thought I was lying."

Mickie sent both of them a look, as her lips parted as though to say something. She obviously changed her mind, as she went back to focusing on the road, silent. Nicole, on the other hand, was staring at the back of Maria's head hard. She really didn't want this to turn into one of their usual conversations a.k.a arguments. She could tell, kind of, that Maria didn't either. After all, the redhead had spent most of the ride so far being rather polite. Nicole's little slip-up about Mike must have really insulted her; she felt slightly guilty, but mostly she was just confused right now. About Mike, about Maria, and quite a number of other things.

"Maybe I did. I have good reason, don't I?" Nicole wanted to take back the words as soon as they left her mouth, but it was obviously too late.

"Unbelievable! You do realise that you owe me for your little fantasy relationship, right?" Maria said. Despite her words, Nicole got the feeling that she was more angry about Nicole in general, rather than her's and Phil's relationship.

"What's going on between Phil and I has nothing to do with you."

"Whoa, whoa . . . wait. You're dating Punk?" interjected Mickie.

Maria and Nicole were silent for a few minutes, before the former answered, "Yep. They've been going out for about two months now, right? I mean, that was when we broke up."

"Wrong. Less than a month, actually," retorted Nicole, folding her arms over her chest, and looking out the window. "Mickie, can you turn on the radio, please?"

Mickie seemed to have something to say, but once again, she opted for staying silent, as she nodded and did as Nikki requested. Maria rolled her eyes, resting her head back, and closing her eyes, as if trying to block out everyone. As a matter of fact, Nicole thought this was a rather smart thing to do at the moment.

_**%%**_

_A/N:_

_So, you guys are like, the best. Just thought I should mention that, especially after the reviews from my announcement last week!_

_ Special thanks to the following peeps: StephNexus, MishaMuse, Loganthesexybeast, Fionnabhair, and Nicola._

_Also, Nicola, you asked a question a while back, and I forgot to answer it! Ch.34 (and 35) are set around late September/early October of 2006. _

_Just Tonight is set in 2010/2011._

_I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think/what you want to see :)  
_

_xoxo, Lillian_


	36. Chapter 36: SuperShow Fun

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or anyone else in the WWE. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

**_%%_**

A week and six days after the awkward ride to Wichita, and Nicole had yet to see anyone. Well, that is, anyone other than Mickie and Maria. Of course Maria would be the person she ran into the most; it always worked out that way, didn't it? As the two of them were the newest divas in the Raw roster, it was apparantly 'logical' to partner them up together, not only in room arrangements, but house show matches as well. Everything was very tense, but they were handling it alright so far. Sure, there was a snide remark here and there, from both sides, but so far, there has been no repeat of the Wichita ride outbursts.

Today, however, was promising to be a better day, or at least Nicole hoped it will be. They were heading to a super show in Phoenix, Arizona, so she will hopefully be able to see Punk. She might also get to see Mike, which should be an interesting encounter. Nicole had barely heard anything from her supposed friend. He said the bare minimum to her texts, answering without really answering, and everything was just weird between the two of them. She wasn't sure how that was going to play out. Nicole let out a loud sigh.

"You alright there, kiddo?"

Nicole looked up to catch Edge's eyes in the mirror. She was currently riding with Edge, Lita, and Randy, as the four of them still had to go over some things for the storyline they were working on. Nikki nodded, "Yeah, just a little tired, that's all."

"Good, good. So . . . Amy, you wanted to talk about something before?" Edge said, glancing at Lita, who was sitting next to him on the passenger seat.

"Yes, I was thinking, we need to get you in the ring. On actual TV," Lita was looking at Nicole with a curious expression.

"That sounds . . . great?" asked Nicole, a little confused as to what exactly she was missing, or if she was missing anything at all. She got the sense that she was, just from Lita's tone.

Lita and Edge shared a look, before the former explained, "Look, don't get me wrong, you're not bad in the ring. Well, not as bad as I expected. But you need to work on it some more."

Suddenly, Nicole felt a lot more self-conscious than she had been ever since she arrived in Raw. She was well aware that her in-ring abilities were not top notch, or anywhere near it, but she was working on them. And she could carry a match relatively well. Nevertheless, she knew she needed to improve. It just felt a lot differently when three future wrestling legends (well, she wasn't so sure about Orton; Nicole still didn't know what to make of him) were staring at her expectantly.

"I'm working on that. I mean, with house shows . . . and the gym . . . " Nicole's words trailed to silence, as Lita looked like she had something to say.

"How would you like to work with me a little?" asked the redheaded woman. Well, to be quite honest, her tone was more of an ordering one, but it was framed as a question.

Nicole, however, did not mind being ordered, at least not by a woman like Lita, and not when the order involved a chance for her to be taught by said woman. She didn't think she hid the look of surprise well, as she replied, "Yes! I mean, that would be very helpful. I mean, if you don't mind."

Lita and Edge shared a look, as the latter chuckled to himself, before Lita said, "Perfect. Tomorrow morning, we can spend some time working on stuff before we have to get going to the next venue. 7:30 sounds good?"

"Perfect," said Nicole, still slightly dumbfounded.

Next to her, she heard Randy make a funny sound. She glanced at him; there was no mistaking the look of derision that just disappeared from his face. Yup, Nicole really didn't like him.

**_%%%_**

Hours later, Nicole could be found sitting on top of some box backstage, massaging her neck after a brief stint in a battle royale where one of the divas wasn't particularly concerned with how she got the blonde out of the ring. It wasn't too bad, but it was sort of annoying. Nicole wasn't complaining, though. At least this one was giving her the benefit of doubt, and trusting that she could take care and handle herself out there. Most people backstage didn't really see her as anything but the pretty blonde girl who doesn't belong here. She knew some of them were expecting her to disappear the moment this storyline with Edge and Lita was over, if not before. Nicole would be lying if she said she didn't fear the same thing.

"There you are; I've been looking for you. You should keep your phone at hand."

Nicole looked up to see Punk making his way toward her. She smiled, "Sorry. I forgot it in the hotel room."

Punk shrugged, reached over to give her a peck on the lips, "It's alright. Move over?" Nikki did so, and he hopped on to sit by her side. "Are you alright?"

"Landed awkwardly out of the ring; my neck hurts," she explained.

Punk smiled at her knowingly, "Get used to it, Blondie; you'll get much worse." Nikki feigned a look of dread, as he pulled her closer by wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Are you sure that's it?"

Nikki rested her head against his shoulder, remaining silent for a while. Punk didn't interrupt her; he knew her well enough by now to realise that he needed to give her time. She wasn't sure speaking to him about the things bothering her would be the best course of action. Some of them might aggravate him, namely, anything concerning Mike. There was also the fact that she wasn't entirely comfortable letting him, or anyone really, know that she had personal doubts about her ability to keep up with this world, this business. In the end, she said, "Yeah. I'm just tired."

Nikki heard the sigh building up in Phil's chest before it left his mouth; he wouldn't let it go. It seemed as if he too was taking his time to word his comments carefully, before finally speaking, "You say that you'd like us to take this slow, and get to know each other even more, but that's difficult when you won't tell me what's on your mind." He paused for a moment, "You didn't have a problem with it before we started this whole thing. I would expect being in a relationship would make it even easier to talk."

She stiffened under his arm, "There's nothing to talk about. Nothing wrong, at least."

"Really? You're just depressed for no reason?"

"I'm fine." Nicole was sitting straight up by now, away from Punk. She could see in his eyes that he wasn't buying it. It didn't help that she was getting annoyed. "Look, it's just stuff I have to deal with on my own."

Punk's eyes narrowed, "On your own . . . or with Mizanin?"

At this, Nicole's eyes flashed dangerously, before she hopped off of the box, "Unbelievable. You . . . you . . . ugh!"

Punk also was on his feet, "So I'm right. You trust him more than you do me. I can't believe you're falling for his tricks!"

"What tricks? There are no tricks. Mike's my friend, although I'm not even sure about that anymore."

"He's just an asshole trying to take advantage of you. It's so fucking obvious that he doesn't see you as a friend!"

Nicole let out a sarcastic laugh, "Right now, you're not that much better." She turned to walk away, before stopping once more, "I never bother you about your friends! Not Steve, not your annoying wrestler friends, not even stinking Maria, who by the way, is part of the reason my time here isn't all that great."

"Well of course, you'd resort to that topic. You can't just keep blaming shit on Maria, just because she's Maria," said Punk, annoyed.

"I can when she keeps trying to mess with me," retorted Nikki.

Punk rolled his eyes, asking, "What did she do now? Borrow your clothes without asking? Used your lipgloss? God forbid, did she look at you the wrong way this afternoon? What a bitch, right?"

Nicole wasn't sure what hurt the most, the fact that he was siding with Maria on this, or that he would ever think she was that shallow. She didn't think too much, and let her anger take control, as the next stream of words left her lips, "No, instead, she chooses to lie to me about my friends, and try to sabotage every relationship I have out here." Nikki knew that wasn't true; she knew if he went asking around about that, he'd know that _she_ was the one doing the lying right now. But she was just too upset and confused to care right now; she'd leave that and the regret for later.

"She wouldn't do that." Although he sounded convinced, Nikki could still detect a small hint of uncertaincy. She didn't bother admitting that he was right. Not now, at least. She was about to reply when the bell sounded, signalling the end of whatever match was on before. Punk glanced back, before saying, "Whatever. I have to go, my match's next. I'll see you later."

"Whatever, bye." Nikki waved at him, before striding off. She spent the rest of the night hiding in the back of the girls' locker room, hoping to avoid as many people as possible. Once the show was over, and she was showered and dressed, Nicole grabbed her bag, and stalked off, heading toward her rental car. She was crossing the lines of numerous cars toward hers, when she found herself face to face with yet another person who was currently making her life complicated. They both stood silent for a while, an obvious air of awkwardness between them.

"Hey Mike."

_**%%**_

_A/N:_

_Good news, guys, my muse is getting a lot better, so I'm hoping school will be kind enough to let me have enough time to write :)  
_

_I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think/what you want to see :)  
_

_xoxo, Lillian_


	37. Chapter 37: Confrontation

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or anyone else in the WWE. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

**_%%_**

Nicole stood there, unsure of what exactly to do or say. There were so many things going through her mind right now, ranging from pleasure in seeing a friend again after it's been so long, to a sense of betrayal and anger. He lied to her. And he didn't even bother explaining why, or whether it was an accident or whatever. He just lied. Even as he stood in front of her now, Nicole could tell that he wasn't planning on seeing her tonight.

"Hey, what's up?" Mike said, rubbing the back of his neck, obviously tired.

Nikki shrugged, "Uhm, not much, I guess." She looked around the empty parking lot, suddenly feeling more alone than she really should, especially with people piling out to their cars, and the place being relatively busy. "I haven't seen you in a while."

Mike nodded, brushing it off, "Yeah, I've been busy. Speaking of which, I should probably get going. I'm hoping to get a day or two at home before the next show. So . . . bye."

Nikki's mouth was open slightly, as she tried to form some words, any words. He was already walking away when she spoke, still facing the same direction she was before, "Why are you avoiding me?"

She didn't need to turn around to know that he stopped walking, but after a few seconds, she did anyway. This time, she didn't bother trying to hide her emotions. She was upset, and she had every right to be. Mike remained silent; whether it was from a loss for words, or just because he simply did not want to talk to her, Nicole wasn't sure. Never one to withstand long silences, she added, "Last time, you said you had to leave early. And, well, I kind of heard that you didn't actually go anywhere. Is that true?

His expression was kind of hostile, as he said, "Who did you hear that from? Your _'boyfriend'_?"

"Can we please just leave him out of this? But for all it's worth, no, he has nothing to do with that. I heard it from a friend," explained Nicole tiredly.

Mike raised an eyebrow, "I didn't know you had any of those. Who was it?"

She refused to let him see how hurtful that comment was, and instead chose to cover it up by firing back, "I do; it's you who I think is friend-less." She paused briefly, "Mike, were you there or not? That's all I want to know."

Silence can sometimes be louder than words. Right now, silence gave Nicole her answer. Mike simply rolled his eyes, and stood there. His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out, checking it; he wasn't even acknowledging her presence. Nicole stared at him in disbelief, "Well . . . why?"

Mike didn't look up until he finished whatever he was doing on his phone, before putting it away, "I thought you just wanted to know if I was there or not,"

Nikki rolled her eyes, "Yes but . . . I don't understand. Why couldn't you just tell me?"

He heaved a loud sigh, looking like this was worse than pulling teeth out for him. He stuffed his hands in his pocket, "I'm sorry, I was just trying to spare your feelings. But since you're so eager for answers, I'll just spell it out for you. I. Don't. Like. You. At all. And I think you're annoying, and whiny, and a bit of a clingy leech too."

Nicole's jaw fell open slightly, as she took in what he was saying. After composing herself slightly, she asked, "Well, that's lovely. Anything else I need to hear?"

"Considering that you're a little slower than most people, maybe, I don't know."

"Okay. What the hell is your problem?" asked Nicole. Although she was very insulted, confusion was currently winning over.

Mike seemed to hesitate for a split second, before a look that Nicole has rarely ever seen on his eyes took over, "My problem? My problem is that I'm sick and tired of watching people who don't deserve it get chances and opportunities, all because they look 'good'. You think you're on Raw right now because of any talent of yours? If you do, I've got a wakeup call for you, sweetheart: you're not. The only reason you're on TV, the only reason you're getting this opportunity, is because you're a pretty blonde, blue eyes, and nice tits." He gave her a look as though she was the scum of the earth; there was no mistaking the anger in his eyes, "You sicken me."

Nicole didn't move from her spot. Her face was expression-less throughout Mike's entire tirade, but her eyes told of all she felt inside. Mike remained there for a few seconds more, before shaking his head at her and leaving. She stayed where she was a bit longer, before gathering her wits about her, and finding her car.

_**%%%**_

About half an hour later, Nicole could be found in her hotel room, one that she was sharing with –yep, you guessed it- Maria, and listening to music. She was trying incredibly hard not to think about anything much, and to instead actually listen to the lyrics in her ear. So far it was working. Nicole wasn't sure how much longer it would, though. And she wouldn't find out.

The door to the room opened, and in came Maria, followed closely by Mickie. Nikki nodded at the two of them in acknowledgement. She was aware that they were speaking, but their words were muffled to her due to her earphones. After a few minutes though, she felt a weight at the end of the bed; Nicole opened her eyes to see Mickie sitting there, smiling at her. Maria appeared to be in the bathroom. Nikki pulled off her earphones, since she got the feeling Mickie wanted to talk.

"Hey."

"Hey," said Mickie, "Do you have any plans tonight?"

Nikki shrugged, "Sleeping. Music. Not much more." She smiled slightly.

"You've never been out with us. Punk mentioned you like to go out for drinks and all that. Why don't you come with us tonight?" Mickie suggested, sounding hesitant.

For some reason, Nikki felt as though there was more to Mickie's kindness to her than what meets the eye. She didn't think the woman's intentions were'nt pure or anything of the sort, but it was still suspicious. However, Mickie did get one thing right: Nicole liked to go out and have fun. She had not been doing much of that since she got on the road because she was unsure of things and she didn't really have any relationships with many of the other divas . . . not good ones at least. But tonight had been a rough one; she figured a little fun couldn't hurt.

"Are you sure Maria wouldn't mind that?" asked Nikki, with a bit of a playful smirk.

Of course, at that moment, Maria emerged from the bathroom, "Mind what?"

Mickie turned and answered, "I invited Nikki to come with us. You know, since everyone's going to be there and stuff. It's cool, right?"

Maria shrugged, "Yeah, totally. Get dressed quick, though, we don't want to be too late."

Nikki rolled her eyes, but she did try to be as quick as possible, picking a simple black ¾ sleeve tunic, and pairing it with a leather belt, and some black heels. She did nothing for her hair, except pull it out of its ponytail and run a comb through it a few times. With minimal make-up on, Nikki was out in less than ten minutes. "Kay, ready."

Maria glanced at her, raising an eyebrow, "I see you've toned it down quite a bit from before."

Nikki shrugged, "You said be quick."

"You look nice, though. So do you, 'Ria," said Mickie, before leading the two of them out.

_**%%**_

_A/N:_

_So, as I said last time, the muse and I are friends again lol. I've got the next chapter already written out, an I'm working on the following one.  
_

_I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think/what you want to see!  
_

_Oh, also, because I like visualizing things, here are the links to what the girls are wearing tonight. Make sure to remove the spaces, though =)_

_**Nikki:** http :/ www. hot miami styles .com /v/vspfiles/ photos/Xa4719%20Black%20%28B%29-4T .jpg_

_**Mickie**: http :/ www. __hot miami styles .com_ /v/vspfiles/ photos/502694HUI%20%28B%29-2T .jpg

_**Maria**: http :/ www. ____hot miami styles_ /v/vspfiles/ photos/AD1499%20blue%20%28B%29-2T .jpg

_xoxo, Lillian_


	38. Chapter 38: Fight or Flight

_**Disclaimer:** _

_Nope, I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or anyone else in the WWE. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

**_%%_**

Going out was boring, Nikki found out, when you didn't really have anyone or anything to be excited about. She was currently sitting at one of the tables in a corner, with Mickie, Maria, and some other girls and guys from the locker room. She knew them all by name, but barely spoke to any of them. Really, all she was doing was cradling the cocktail she ordered about twenty minutes ago, barely sipping at it. She was largely ignoring –and being ignored by- everyone, except for a few times when the conversation turned to her, with questions about how she was liking Raw, where she was from, and even whether or not she was dating Punk. To this one, Maria had an interesting response. One of the boys –Nicole couldn't remember who exactly- made a point of asking Nicole _why_ she was dating Punk. His tone was a bit derisive, but Nikki intended to ignore it and reply with a simple answer.

Maria, though, had a different idea, a much more agitated one too.

"Because she likes him? Because he's a decent guy? You know, things like that. Girls don't just go for the jerks all the time."

Nikki raised her eyebrow, and debated pushing the subject more, but seeing as how Maria was sort of on her side right now (a rare thing on its own), and how annoyed she appeared to be by the question, Nikki opted to let it be. Soon enough, the conversation drifted elsewhere, and she was back to tuning it out. That kept up for about five more minutes, before one of the girls' comment caught her ears.

"Hey, isn't that the Smackdown host dude? Looks like he's arguing with someone."

"Really? Ha. He wouldn't want that escalating. Vince would be pissed."

Nikki turned to look at the direction they were pointing at, and sure enough, there was Mike, standing by the bar with a few bigger looking guys. Things certainly didn't seem to be going smoothly; Mike looked red-faced and drunk, as did two of the other guys. All four of them looked pissed off. Against Nikki's better judgement, she decided to step in before things got out of hand. The boys were right; if a fight broke out, Mike could get in serious trouble. Sighing, she left the table, ignoring the questions from a couple of the guys, and made her way to Mike.

She made it there just in time, because as she reached the bar, Mike had just pushed one of the guys roughly, causing him to almost fall over. The other guy did not look too happy about it. Just as the man started yelling some obscenities at Mike, Nikki stepped in, "Hey guys. Everything alright?" She faced Mike, smiling briefly at the other guys, and said, "Hey, why don't you come sit over there with us?"

"What're you doing here?" Mike said, his words slurring.

The man opposite them glared at him, "Why don't you take your friend somewhere else before we teach him a lesson about mouthing off to people bigger than him."

"Bigger than me? You're not that tough, big guy. That's all blubber, and empty talk," said Mike, laughing. "I can take you. I can take you all!"

Nikki sighed, sensing that the men behind her were getting more agitated by the second. She grabbed Mike's upper arm, tugging him slightly, "Come on, we should go."

"I don't want to, not with you," Mike pushed her away, and turned to face the men, who seemed to be continuing their conversation. Mike stepped up to the guy he was yelling at before and shoved his arm, adding, "What? Are you scared? You're just gonna pretend nothing happened? What a joke!"

Nikki suppressed a sigh, and attempted to step in again, only to have the guy, who was aiming for Mike, push her roughly away. She managed to avoid falling flat on her behind by grabbing on to the edge of the bar. The man looked a little embarrassed, but obviously too pissed off at Mike to care; he glared at Nikki, "Take your friend away now."

She began to reply, when she heard Mickie's voice by her side, "Is everything alright here?"

Nikki nodded, "Yeah, I just . . . I think I need to take Mike to the hotel."

"I'm not going anywhere," was his defiant reply.

"Well too bad. We're going," said Nikki, pulling him forcefully. She sent an apologetic smile to the other guys, and struggled to get Mike out of there before he hurt himself. Mickie helped her a little, and offered to drive them back, to which Nicole replied, "No, it's fine. It's not that far."

Eventually, she managed to get him out. The hotel really wasn't too far, but dragging a drunken Mike was a little more difficult than she expected. He kept babbling about one thing or the other the entire way. Nicole didn't catch much of it, but he was definitely very, very drunk. Finally, they reached the hotel. After a bit of struggle, Nikki managed to get the room number out of Mike, and, praying to God that it was the right room, she proceeded to take him there. It was easier to get the key card, but still a hassle nonetheless. Even drunken, Mike was one of the most difficult people she knew.

Finally, though, she pushed Mike into the room, closing the door behind her. After a quick inspection told her there was no more alcohol around, she rummaged through the mini fridge, and grabbed a water bottle. Nicole placed it on Mike's bedside table, knowing he would probably need it, whether later in the night, or in the morning. She stood there for a bit, studying him; he was laying down face first in the bed, and she was almost worried he'd suffocate himself. She shook her head, and was about to leave, when Mike's muffled voice came from the bed. Nicole didn't quite catch what he was saying, so she asked, "Mike? Did you want something?"

There was a long moment of silence, before Mike rolled over slightly, lifting his face off of his pillow, "Are you mad at me?"

Nikki could easily tell he was still very much drunk, that this was probably another one of his rambles, so she answered tiredly, "No, not at all. Go to sleep, Mike."

"But . . . but . . . I called you . . . stupid . . . and blonde . . . and a bunch of y'know, other . . . other mean things . . . you looked . . . you're mad . . . " he continued speaking, although it was getting more slurred by every word, and she was beginning to understand less and less of it. Nicole got the gist of it, though; the drink often made people _feel _more, and what not.

"Yeah, I remember. It's okay, you need to sleep now," she repeated. He was drunk. She wasn't getting into this now. She had to leave.

He opened his eyes, looking at her for a long while, before whispering something she couldn't quite hear. She debated simply leaving, because she wasn't sure this was something that she should be addressing now, but curiosity always won with her. Nikki stepped closer to the bed, asking, "What?"

He didn't reply right away, but after a while, she could make out his muffled words, "I'm sorry. I . . . didn't . . . sorry . . ."

Nikki didn't know what to do. An apology from Mike –whether drunken or sober- was a huge, huge thing. She was still upset about what he said, but right now, he looked so miserable and vulnerable, she couldn't find it in her heart to stay angry. She was sure that come the morning, she would retain that ability, but right now, not so much.

Nikki nodded at his words, and slumped down on the small armchair near the door. She closed her eyes, and allowed herself to finally _think_ about everything. Mike wasn't the type to hold back things, but Nikki now knew that he obviously was hiding some stuff from her. She hadn't quite thought about it before, what with being caught up in her own personal issues and aspirations. Mike had been called up to the main roster three months before Punk, five before her, yet she barely saw him on TV. When they talked, he never spoke about those things, and he always managed to evade her questions about how his life on the road, in the locker room, was. It was obvious now that Nikki had failed to see something was wrong.

Despite the earlier tirade and insults, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Mike. Whatever it was that was happening in Smackdown, with the other guys, he was obviously not happy. A pang of guilt hit her, as she realised how much effort he had initially put into being around when she arrived at Raw, and Nicole began to wonder whether that was simply him being a good friend, or a result of loneliness on the road. Or maybe both? She really had no clue what to make of everything, and Mike was clearly not in a state to talk right now.

She turned to look at him, and found that he appeared to be fast asleep. Nikki didn't move. She stayed there, intending to relax and gather her thoughts first, before heading back to her room. But soon enough, she too was drifting off to sleep.

_**%%**_

_Sup guys! _

_So . . I'm getting that you're REALLY not liking Mike . . which is perfect, I was hoping that will be the case lol. I haven't done a bar/club scene in a while, and I figured this is a good place. _

_I don't know about you guys, but personally, I'm liking the way this is turning out. I previously had a completely different idea for Overboard, but I think I'll just go with the flow._

_But, as always, let me know what YOU think; I love reading your reviews, they're definitely helpful!_


	39. Chapter 39: Morning After

_**Disclaimer:** _

_I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or anyone else. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

When Nicole woke up the next morning, it took her some time to make sense of her surroundings. But the sound of water running in the shower brought some memories back. She looked around in confusion; she was on a bed, but she was very aware that it was not her own. A quick look around the room confirmed her suspicions; she had fallen asleep last night before she got a chance to leave Mike's room. Nicole allowed an annoyed sigh to escape her lips; this was not going to be fun to explain.

Nicole sat up and stared at her feet, still clad in black heels, and contemplated leaving before Mike came out of the shower. It would save her a lot of awkwardness, and she could just focus on everything else. But she knew sooner or later she would have to talk to Mike, unless he decided to disappear from her life again. Nicole, however, was spared from having to make the decision, when the door to the bathroom opened, and a practically naked Mike emerged, with only a towel wrapped around his waist. He nodded at her, "Hey, you're awake."

Nikki grimaced, and buried her face in the pillows, "Put on some clothes, please."

She could hear Mike laugh, "You're surrounded by practically naked people all the time at work. Get over it."

"Just put some pants on."

"There. I'm _decent_," said Mike.

Nicole heard the smirk of sarcasm on his face even before she saw it. But from looking at him, she could also clearly see that last night did not leave Mike without any effects. He was trying to hide it, but his eyes showed the hangover he was clearly having. They also showed that Mike may actually have some recollection of what he did just before passing out.

Nicole stood up, and adjusted her dress, "I'm pretty sure I was sitting on that arm chair before."

Mike glanced at her briefly, shrugging, "Your neck looked painful. I saw you landed on it weird last night in that battle royale. Uhm . . . I thought you'd be more comfortable, that's all."

Usually, Mike was quite good at barring any sort of emotion outside of arrogance and sarcasm from his person, but Nicole could sense that he was very uncomfortable. Truth be told, though, so was she. But the fact that he noticed and remembered her falling out of the ring awkwardly was strangely touching; it wasn't often that Mike displayed concern for anyone else's well-being but his own.

"Uhm, thanks," replied Nicole. She stood near the armchair silently for a bit, before adding, "Listen, about last night, I ju-"

"Don't. Just stop."

Nicole stood by the door, her eyebrows raised. Mike looked almost as miserable as he did last night, except right now he was struggling to pretend nothing was wrong. She wanted to speak, but opted instead for giving Mike a chance to sort out his thoughts.

After a long while, he spoke, "Sorry for getting you involved at the bar. Won't happen again. And I'll be sure not to tell anyone you stayed; wouldn't want your _boyfriend_ to freak out, right?"

Nikki had to take a moment and refrain herself from responding sarcastically. Instead, she attempted to speak rationally, "I would really appreciate it if you could leave Phil out of this. And if you could just be honest with me for once."

"I _am_ being ho-"

She cut him off, rolling her eyes, "You're being sarcastic and making this seem like it was nothing. Mike, I thought we were friends, then you went and blatantly ignored me for the better of three weeks, and when you finally speak to me it's to insult me! And then last night happens and I just don't know what to think anymore."

The two of them stood silent for a while, before Mike heaved a sigh, and sat on the edge of the bed. He shifted a little bit and patted the bed, gesturing for Nicole to sit. She narrowed her eyes at him, not sure whether he was being serious now or still trying to get out of this, but she did go and sit next to him.

After a bit, he spoke, "What I said after the show . . . I was out of line. I'm just. It's hard, okay? You don't know what it's like for me. It's hard to get people to take you seriously, when you come from a background like mine."

Nikki frowned, a little confused, "What are you talking about? We both spent nearly a year down at OVW. And weren't you at the other developmental facility before that?"

Mike shook his head, "I meant before that. You know, the whole reality TV thing, showbiz and all."

"So? Why does that matter?"

"It _does_ matter, Nicole, because everyone seems to think that the only reason I'm here is because I'm that pretty boy from MTV who knows nothing about wrestling," said Mike, his anger and frustration building as he spoke, "Did you know that I was locked out last night? Out of the locker room? I had to change in the public washrooms. With all the fans staring at the weird ass wrestler who had no business being there. It's fucking embarrassing and . . . and I was just angry so I took it out on you. I shouldn't have, but I did."

Nicole had sort of figured out that things on the road were not going very well for Mike last night before she fell asleep, but she hadn't quite imagined it would be this way. She was a little lost for words at first; after all, she couldn't exactly say that she understood. It would be tactless and stupid; sure, she wasn't making a lot of friends on the road, but at least she had two future legends that seemed to think she was doing well, and she was getting pretty decent TV time for a new girl. Suddenly, Mike's outburst after the show wasn't so much infuriating as sad.

"Mike, I don't know how I can make it better, but the very least you could let me do is just tell me what's going on," Nicole placed a tentative hand on his knee, "You're one of the only two people that I actually consider my friends around here. Don't lock me out of your life."

Mike looked her in the eye for a moment before shrugging, "I guess venting to you wouldn't be _too_ bad."

Nicole grinned at the gradual return of the Mike she knew, and said, "Hey, I can be a pretty good listener." She reached over and hugged him, before standing up. "I have to go change but, wanna have breakfast?" Nicole glanced at the clock then adjusted, "Or brunch? You know the place across the street?"

"Yeah, sure. Meet you there in twenty?"

"Make it twenty-five, but yes!" said Nicole, before grabbing her purse, and leaving, as she waved goodbye.

_**%%%**_

Going back to her hotel room was awkward. Nicole knew that she hadn't done anything wrong, but she also knew Maria was probably still there, and _Maria_ was going to think something happened last night that didn't. The raised eyebrow and cold treatment was enough to confirm Nicole's suspicion. She said nothing, however, and limited the conversation to basic talk about when she was leaving and whether or not she knew which hotel they were staying at in their next venue. In fifteen minutes, Nicole was showered and changed into a short sleeveless grey jumpsuit, and out of the room.

She was walking into the lobby when she spotted her target. Smiling, she approached Punk, but after their last encounter, there was a bit of tension in their embrace this morning.

"Hey. Got your text. Where did you want to go?" asked Punk, gesturing at his phone.

Before she had gone back to her room, Nicole had texted him about going to brunch; she had, however, conveniently avoided mentioning that they wouldn't be alone. "There's this cool little cafe across the street. But, uhm, I was just- I wanted to talk before we go."

Punk nodded slowly, his expression unreadable, "Yeah sure. What's up?"

"I need you to promise that you won't interrupt me until you've heard all I've had to say. Please," Nicole reached out to hold his hand in hers, looking up at him, her eyes slightly hesitant. But she had made up her mind about this. She had to go through with it now.

The annoyance was evident in Phil's eyes, but he bit back a sigh, and nodded, "Promise."

"Okay, thanks," Nicole took a deep breath, before pulling them to a slightly secluded corner. "I really, really, really care about you, Phil, you know that. And I want to make this, whatever this is, work _so_ badly. But I can't do that if you can't seem to trust me or my judgement. I know you think you need to 'protect' me and I think that's amazing, but when it starts getting in the way of me being able to maintain my friendship with other people then it's not okay." She stopped for a moment, looking Punk in the eyes, "That means you have to accept that maybe I want to be friends with people you don't necessarily like. Like Mike. And I know you don't trust him, and that's fine but you have to trust that I won't let that affect you and I. This means a lot to me. But so do my friends. And I don't want to have to choose between them. I don't think that's very fair."

After she stopped, they both remained silent for a bit, before Punk spoke, "Is that all?"

Nikki hesitated a little bit, before shaking her head, "Not exactly. You're probably going to hear this from other people, and it'll undermine everything. Last night, I went out with a bunch of people, and I ran to Mike, who was very very drunk so I had to take him to his room. And I may have accidently fell asleep on his armchair," She could see Punk's eyes flashing in annoyance, but Nicole continued nonetheless, "Nothing happened. He was very drunk, he was going to get into trouble, and I couldn't just leave him. All we did was talk."

Even though he was struggling not to, Punk was obviously bothered, and his words confirmed that, "How am I supposed to believe that you're 'just friends' when you're going out and spending the night with him?"

"Because I'm actually _telling_ you. I'm not trying to hide anything, Phil, if I was, I would have just let the rumor mill work and you'd hear about this from someone else. And I don't want that to happen, especially since I know there are people who _would _make sure you hear about it," replied Nicole, frustration creeping its way into her voice.

Punk rolled his eyes, "Maria knows, doesn't she?" The sharp look from Nicole basically confirmed his question, so continued, "You're asking me to trust you and Mike are nothing but friends. It seems a bit hypocritical when you can't seem to get over the fact that _Maria_ and I are still friends."

Nicole shook her head vehemently, "That's different. You dated for what? Two, three years? I have a right to be concerened."

"So what you're saying is that you don't trust me? That's not very fair, is it?" replied Punk, folding his arms over his chest.

She was at a loss for words for a moment. He had a point, no matter how much she hated it. Nicole glared up at Punk, before saying begrudgingly, "Alright. Whatever. You're right." She had never been good at accepting being wrong, but Nicole was willing to try here, "I may be a _little_ unfair when it comes to Maria. But I'll make you a deal. I'll try not to be overly annoyed by Maria's existence if you promise to try and be civil with Mike."

Punk smirked, "Fine. I can do that." When she gave him a doubtful look, he added, "I can! But the same goes to you!"

"Perfect," Nikki grinned up at him, stepping closer, "I missed you." She knew that there was still a lot to figure out between the two of them, and that it wasn't going to be easy for either of them to make this work. But Nicole also knew that it would be worth it, or at the very least, she really, really wanted that to be true.

Punk smiled and pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her tightly, "I know. Me too."

She pulled away briefly, standing on her toes to press her lips against Phil's, kissing him deeply. When she pulled away, she said, "Let's go eat; I'm starving."

As they made their way to the cafe, chatting, Nicole felt more like herself than she had in a long time. But as they approached the door, she slowed down, and spoke quickly, "Oh, there may or may not be a third person joining us, but I'm sure you won't mind that too much. Because you're an amazing, mature, professional person. Right?"

Punk's eyes narrowed at Nicole, as he began searching the cafe for a familiar face. Sure enough, his eyes fell on Miz, sitting in a corner, obviously waiting for someone. "That was not cool," said Punk, glaring at Nicole as she led the way to Mike's table.

"I know, I'm sorry, but I had to. Please behave," she said, as they reached the table. "Hey Mike. Guess who I ran into . . . as I was walking here! Isn't this exciting?"

"Miz," said Punk, giving him a curt nod.

Mike sent Nicole an annoyed look, before saying, "Punk. What a _totally_ unexpected surprise. You just ran into him, didn't you?"

Nikki slid in the booth so that she was between both guys, "I did! Isn't it wonderful? So do you guys know what you're getting?"

She grinned widely at the guys, silently praying this would go by smoothly. Nikki knew it wasn't fair to push them into this situation, but how else would she be able to make this work? Plus, where was the fun if she couldn't trick a person or two? She was sure they would all laugh about this later. But as she glanced between Mike and Punk, her confidence was waning.

_**%%**_

_I'm the worst. I know.  
_

_So sorry for the wait. I don't really have an excuse outside writer's block =(  
_

_But I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter; I'm not sure how I feel about it, so definitely let me know what you thought in the reviews, please!  
_

_Nikki's Outfit: http : / media3 . onsugar . com /files/ upl 1/2/ 29964 / 40_2008 / image_30 . jpg (take out spaces)  
_

_xoxo, Lillian_


	40. Chapter 40: At the Diner

_**Disclaimer:** _

_I don't own the WWE superstars, or diva's, or anyone else. I only own my OC's and my ideas._

The silence on the table was close to driving Nikki insane. Sure, it was slightly interrupted by casual conversation, but the tension between the three of them could be cut with a knife. After the waiter brought them their orders, the only sound that could be heard was the clanking of forks and knives against the plates. Nikki bit back an annoyed sigh every so often.

"Punk, can you let me through? I'll just be at the ladies' room," she stood up and turned around once more, "Behave, and don't kill each other, kay?" She may have said it in a joking matter, but a part of Nicole truly was a little concerned about what might happen in her absence. Nonetheless, she grabbed her purse and left the two men alone anyway.

Mike and Punk looked at the direction of Nikki for a long moment after she left, a similar look of desperation and panic on each of their faces. But that soon dissipated; instead settled the awkward animosity. Punk glared at his waffles for a long time, deciding that he was going to simply ignore Miz; otherwise, he might end up breaking his promise to Nicole, and he wasn't ready to do that yet. Mike, apparently, was feeling a little more chatty. He moved his food around aimlessly on his plate, before glancing at Punk and speaking, "So how's life at the Land of the Extreme? You don't look very beat up . . . not any more than usual."

The darker haired man sent him a glance, before sighing, and putting his fork down. Punk turned to face Miz, and said frankly, "Look, the only reason I'm still here is because of Nik. I don't want to be your friend, so save your breath and small talk for someone else." He rolled his eyes, "I mean, we'd both rather be elsewhere, right?"

Mike raised his eyebrow, before chuckling dryly, "Well, I'm glad we got that out of the way. What exactly is your problem?"

"My problem is _you_. My problem is that, for some reason beyond my understanding, Nicole can't seem to see what a slimy, annoying prick you are."

"You're not one to talk about pricks, _Punk_. You're an asshole!" Mike spat. "Do you hear the things people say behind your back? Fact is, no one really gets what any girl would see in you. And you can definitely count me among them."

Punk narrowed his eyes, but chose to ignore the comment. Instead, he looked Miz straight in the eye, speaking slowly, "I don't care what anyone thinks. I don't care what _you_ think. And while I may not get what Nicole sees in you, I can't tell her what to do. But I promise you, if you hurt her in any way, shape, or form, I will beat your pretty-boy face so badly, you'll never be on a stupid MTV reality show again."

Mike's gaze never faltered, even with the menacing tone of Punk's voice, but he did lose his confident smirk. It was replaced by a look of cold hostility that mirrored the other man's expression. Mike nodded, and simply said, "Point taken. Just remember, you're not the only one who can throw threats around."

Punk's eyes narrowed at the implications underlying Miz's words, but he didn't get a chance to say much more; Nicole was walking back from the washroom. He sat back, and returned to staring broodingly at his food, as she approached the table.

"Back! Oh look, you're both alive," Nicole grinned, sliding to sit next to Mike, "Can you pass me my plate, please?"

Punk nodded, and did so, asking, "What are you doing next weekend?"

Nicole chuckled, "You mean aside from houseshows?"

Punk rolled his eyes, "I meant _your_ weekend. What is it, Tuesday and Wednesday?"

Absently, Mike corrected him, "And Thursday." He did not seem to be very aware of who he was talking to, until the words were out of his mouth. Shrugging nonchalantly, he added, "At least that's what I think."

"Yeah, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Although sometimes I don't really get the Tuesday," Nicole shrugged, before directing her gaze to Punk and asking, "Why?"

"Well, I was thinking, if you weren't going to New York, you can maybe come to Chicago with me."

Punk attempted to make it a light-hearted suggestion, one that meant little to him, but the looks he received from both Miz and Nicole confirmed that it did not go through as such. The former had an amused expression on his face, mixed with something Punk couldn't quite make out. Nicole, usually a difficult person to read, was actually the easier of the two. Punk could almost see the wheels turning in her head, overthinking things. It was a habit he noticed in her often lately. When they were just hanging out, like old times, she would be normal, but whenever things got too couple-y, he could almost always tell she struggled with it.

"That sounds cool," was Nicole's simple reply, "I probably have to make sure I don't have to go home, though. I'll let you know!"

Mike had donned an odd expression, as he asked, "Have you actually been to New York since you got on the road?"

This time it was Punk's turn to frown; he recalled Nicole mentioning last weekend that she was in New York when they were talking on the phone. He looked at her questioningly, but she simply replied, "Yeah, I was there last week."

"Ah. Cool," said Mike. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but he clearly remembered a week or so ago Nicole mentioning how much her parents were nagging her about coming home for a bit.

"Yeah, enough about me," said Nicole, grinning. "How about you guys? Anything exciting happening soon?"

Mike finished his orange juice before speaking, "Not really. Well, it's my step-sister's birthday next week. Does that count?"

"Oh, that's exciting!" exclaimed Nikki. "So you're going?"

"No, it's on Tuesday, I'll be working," Mike laughed humourlessly, "Which means I'd better get her a pretty good gift."

Punk nearly groaned at that point; he knew what came next, he _knew _that look in Nicole's eyes.

The blonde clapped her hands together, "Ooh, oh, I can help you! We'll go shopping Monday before Raw, or Tuesday or something. How old is your sister?"

Mike chuckled at her reaction, but answered nonetheless, "She's turning seventeen."

Nicole's grin grew wider, "That's perfect. I feel like just yesterday I was seventeen!"

"You definitely still act like it," commented Punk, but his friendly grin revealed his jest. He had to admit that despite his annoyance at the idea of Nicole and Miz going shopping together, the excitement and sparkle it brought to her eyes was rather endearing. She really enjoyed Miz's company, and no matter how he felt about it, Phil couldn't really interfere there unless the bastard crossed the line. Now, though, it seemed that Miz was simply a good friend to Nicole; Phil's only worry was that someday there won't be room for him too.

"Oh shut up," Nikki stuck her tongue out at Punk, before checking her watch, and adding, "We should probably get going, I have to meet Lita soon."

"Yeah, I need to start driving to Smackdown," said Mike, pushing his plate away. The three of them finished eating, paid, and left, where Mike bid Nicole –and, grudgingly, Punk- goodbye, and left. Punk had a bit of time, so he stayed behind a little longer. He was sitting on a chair in Nicole's hotel room, while she packed the rest of her stuff.

"So why are you meeting Lita again?" he asked.

Nicole was folding her dress from last night, as she replied, "She wants to help me with in-ring stuff."

"That's cool," Punk frowned, "You don't look too excited though."

She glanced at him briefly, before sighing, and sitting on the floor, legs under her thighs, "I don't know. It's a great opportunity, I know, but I don't think she likes me very much. Or maybe it's just me being incapable of having normal relationships with anyone, _ever_."

Punk laughed lightly, "Don't worry too much about that. It's just the way things are around here, or, really, in wrestling in general. You'll get used to it." He stopped, before musing, "I keep forgetting you've never done this before except in OVW."

Nicole shrugged, "Yeah? Well, _I'm_ painfully aware of it. I feel like such an annoying little child most of the time."

"Well . . ." Punk grinned as she sent him a glare, "Just kidding. Really, just relax and be yourself, you'll be fine."

Nicole nodded and stood back up, placing the sandals she was holding in her bag. She tried to zip it up, but it was a little too full. Sighing in frustration, she said, "Come help me with this?"

Punk nodded, "Sit on it." Nicole rolled her eyes, but did as she was told, as he zipped it up, "There you go, wimp."

"Oh shut up," said Nicole, grinning.

"Make me," challenged Punk, placing his hands on her waist and smirking at her.

"Well okay then," she grinned, closing the gap between them, pressing her lips against his. She pulled away after a moment, saying, "So, Chicago. I've never been."

Punk smiled against her lips, "You're a city girl, you'll love it. So . . . are you coming?" There was a hint of hesitation in her expression, so he added, "It's just a weekend. And you don't have to leave my apartment if you don't want to."

Nicole pressed her forehead against his, not looking him in the eyes, as she spoke, "You're gonna want to see people. I don't want to, y'know, intrude or something."

Punk suppressed the sigh building up in his chest. He reached out and lifted her chin, "You won't be intruding. You're my girlfriend, if anyone has a problem with that, they can fuck off."

"Yeah, bu-"

"No, Nikki, please stop," Punk tried very hard to use a patient and understanding tone, and hoped it worked, "Going to Chicago doesn't mean anything other than me getting to spend more time with you, which never happens when we're both travelling."

Nicole felt slightly guilty about that last part. It was difficult, trying to keep up with work, and maintaining the very few friendships she had, _and_ a relationship. But she was also not being very honest with herself. The idea of meeting people who have known Punk for years and years scared her. She didn't want to give a bad impression; she didn't want to ruin what she had with Punk. But, in a way, refusing to go might be just as bad.

Sighing, she said, "Fine, I'll come."

Punk hugged her tightly, saying reassuringly, "Thank you. And don't worry, you'll fit right in, everyone will love you."

Nikki smiled softly, "I'll take your word for it."

Following that, she jumped off the suitcase, and made a final check for everything, before they left. She checked out, and found her rental car. She wasn't leaving the city yet, but once her little meeting with Lita was over, Nicole was driving home right away, if only for about two days, before she has to get back on the road again. It was exhausting, but she would be lying if she said she wanted life any other way. Yet, as she bid Punk goodbye, knowing that she will not be seeing him until they leave for Chicago, her chest felt slightly heavy.

_**%%**_

_A/N: He guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Just a quick update. I'm hoping, if everything goes right and I don't get busy/get writer's block, to have Overboard finished by this summer, and hopefully get into the sequel right away! So yayyy, lol.__  
_

_Until then, let me know what you all thought of this chapter!  
_

_xoxo, Lillian_


	41. Why hello there

Hey guys,

First of all, I want to apologize deeply and profusely for the lack of updates over the last few months. At first, it was my being incredibly busy with school, work, and life in general. I had very little time to write, and I was usually too exhausted to do anything when I did have the time. Then school started, and I don't think I have to tell you guys how time-consuming being a university/college student is.

But I would be lying if I said I hadn't had any time whatsoever to write. The truth is, I initially had a plan for Overboard when I started writing it, but along the way, that plan got skewed, and I quite liked that. The issue is, with my other plan, I had a clear vision of how I wanted to end Overboard and start its sequel. I still know exactly how I want to start the sequel, but the truth is, at this point, I'm trucking along with Overboard, just trying to get to the end, and that is just not helping my muse whatsoever.

BUT, that is not to say I want to abandon the story forever. I have a few ideas of how I want to go from here, and I will posit them to you, the readers, now.

_**Option A:** I can keep Overboard up, and try to finish it whenever my muse returns._

_**Option B:** I can take down Overboard, and start its sequel, with every intention of bringing back Overboard as a prequel whenever that story gets finished._

_**Option C:** I can leave Overboard up, but put an 'Abandoned' or something like that, tag on it, and still put up the sequel. Note, though, that things between the two may not always match._

I would love you guys forever if you could go to my profile and respond to a poll with these very same options.

I would just like to say that while I do appreciate all of your opinions and thoughts on the matter, I cannot guarantee that I will go along with the results of the poll.

I love you all so much for loving Overboard as much as I do, and sticking around even though I've been terribly absent.

xoxo,

Lillian


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